Tiffany Lothian

tifflothian@gmail.com
0272974557

Passionate Creed

To provide a firm foundation for learning and to bridge the gaps of

understanding, so the students have the best possible outcome they can
in their school journey.

My teaching beliefs

A positive reciprocal learning relationship with the wider community is a vital extension of the classroom.
Todays students are culturally diverse and with a variety of physical and learning needs. An effective practice
requires a reflective pedagogy informing my planning, monitoring and teaching practices.
A cohesive classroom environment fosters successful learning and relationships, which in turn encourages creative
and critical thinking in students.
Every student has a voice worth hearing and respecting.
I want to foster and develop each students own views and understanding of the world around them.
I believe that an educator needs to model love, care, wisdom and respect, and to embrace the students and their
beliefs as a whole.
Each students strengths and interests informs my teaching strategies. This increases engagement.
Ongoing professional development is important for an educator to remain up to date with current research, teaching
strategies and classroom techniques.

Teaching Experience and Practicums

Otumoetai Primary School 2014 (Tauranga)
Years 3-4: 6 Week Practicum
Grade: Excellent
Omokoroa No.1 School 2015 (Tauranga)
Year 7: 6 Week Practicum
4 Days full responsibility
Grade: Very Good
Brookfield Primary School 2015 (Tauranga)
Years 2-3: 20 Week Remedial Literacy
Grade: Good

Tauranga Special Needs School Merivale Satellite

Class 2016
Years 3-5: 6 Week Practicum
5 Days full responsibility
Grade: Very Good
Bethlehem College 2016 (Tauranga)
Years 0-1: 6 Week Practicum
15 Days full responsibility
Grade: Excellent

Associate Teacher and Tutor Teacher Comments

Tiffany is well on her way to becoming an effective teacher. She
delivers quality learning. She is approachable, friendly and
interested in the children; this adds warmth, compassion and
friendship to her qualities as a teacher. Tiffany has many qualities
that will make her a capable teacher. She is an intelligent,
hardworking and a resourceful person who desires to do well in all
she undertakes. Her sound planning and mature attitude will help
her on the road to becoming a successful teacher. (B.Broadhurst,
Associate Teacher, Practicum 2)
Great to see you establishing positive, professional relationships
with the parents in A4. You have professional conversations about
their childs progress in class before school and you make sure
your interactions are positive. You are very warm and inviting
towards the children saying morena to each child when they come
into school. This makes them feel accepted and like they belong to
our class. Its great to see you interacting and developing
relationships with the children each morning by joining in with them
as they play or making discussion (C. Hodson, Associate Teacher,
Practicum 5).

Tiffany planned lessons allowing for the diversification of abilities of

the students. The whole class lessons were engaging and at a level
where all students could participate and succeed (G. Paris,
Associate Teacher, Practicum 4).
Your frequent positive affirmation of students throughout the lesson
is encouraging for them and indicates that you are able to pick up
quickly on what is happening. This is also true of the students who
need to be reminded to stay on task (F.Bennett, Tutor teacher),
You engage in a positive affirming manner, encouraging even when
they get things wrong. An incorrect answer is affirmed for the
students effort in thinking etc (S. Baker, Tutor Teacher).

Curriculum Strengths
Literacy
Words, written and read is a passion of mine. I want the children I teach, to
devour words, to play with them and to create with them, to enjoy losing
themselves in a book and to have the imagination and skills to become the
next J K Rowling or Margaret Mahy, or even better an accomplished writer
in their own right.

The Arts
Within the five practicums, Visual Art has been a central theme in my
teaching; from teaching Year 7 students to write and design a Graphic
Novel to the creation of sensory items for my special needs students.
Engaging with The Arts in all the learning strands, fosters innovation,
imagination and critical and creative thinking, which stretches the students
Zone of Proximal learning.

Numeracy
Mathematics can be fun, engaging and practical. Within my practicum
experiences I not only created my own resources ( Yr 0-1) but I also
conveyed the relevance of math to everyday life (yrs 3-7). As a result, my
students understood the link between numeracy and the real world.

Key Skills highlighted on practicums

Innovative & Creative lesson planning

Classroom management
Motivating students
Effective listening
Interactive teaching/learning
Differentiated instruction
Behavioural & Cognitive skills development
Experience working with Special Needs Students
Effectively working with parents and whanau
Adaptable teaching style
Effective assessment and teaching
Relational
Teachable
Intentional in use of Te Reo in the classroom

Personal Strengths and Skills

I am: reliable, good with people, positive, warm and energetic.
I love:
Gardening: I love growing and cooking my own food. Primary school can be a wonderful place to sow the seed toward
environmentally sustainable living.

Creative Crafts: I love repurposing items into new innovative art pieces and practical items that can be used around the
house and garden. This is a skill that I have used repeatedly throughout my daughter's time at playcentre and also within
the practicum experiences I have had with Bethlehem Tertiary Institute.
Creative speech and writing: One of our favourite pastimes in our family is building stories that grow more fantastical with
each sentence. In encouraging and teaching my daughter to expand her vocabulary, as well as myself, the journey has lead
to her writing award winning short-stories and myself planning a novel.
The Living world: To enjoy what we have been blessed with, the earth and its wildlife, and to show respect in our
interactions with animals. We have three rescue cats and look forward to the time where we have the resources to expand
our menagerie.

Qualifications
2014- 2016

Bethlehem Tertiary Institute

Bachelor Primary Teaching

2011

WINTEC
Certificate in Computer Applications
Level 2

1991-1994

1990-1991

Central Institute of Technology

Wellington
Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism
Management
Waikato Polytechnic
Certificate in Office and Business
Administration

Work Experience
2013
SPCA Op Shop
Terrace End Palmerston North
Volunteer
2011-2012
Salmon Orchard,
Waiau Road, Athenree
Casual Worker
2010-2012
Cleaner and Childminder
B & R Kubasi-Gallagher
Waihi Beach

Referees
Character

Teaching Reference

Robin Winter
RTLB Hauraki/Waikato District
robinrtlb@gmail.com
027 4490886

Candice Hodson
Associate Teacher
Bethlehem College
candice.hodson@beth.school.nz
0210308314

Cathryn Bell
Senior Teacher Educator
Bethlehem Tertiary Institute
C.Bell@bti.ac.nz
(07) 562 2926