What Makes Me Qualified to Do This?

 

What Makes Me Qualified to Do This (It’s Not What You Think)

When people hear that I create educational resources, they sometimes ask if I used to be a teacher.

And the answer is: yes -  but maybe not in the way you’re imagining.

🎓 Teaching, Psychology & the Edges of the System

I’ve worked as a psychology lecturer in further education, and I’ve taught maths and English in alternative settings for young people who hadn’t thrived in mainstream school.

I’ve also worked in forensic mental health, supporting individuals navigating complex trauma, disconnection, and often, systems that weren’t built for them.

Across all of these settings: classroom, crisis, or containment - I saw the same truth:

✨ People shut down when they don’t feel safe.

✨ Pressure creates panic, not progress.

✨ Confidence and connection are not optional extras, they’re the foundation of learning.

🧠 I Know What It’s Like to Be That Learner

I didn’t leave school early, I just… barely went.

I avoided it whenever I could, and looking back, I understand why.

It wasn’t built for me. The support wasn’t there. I didn’t have the language for what I was feeling — and neither did the adults around me.

Sometimes I think about how different it might have been if I were in school now, when there’s more awareness around neurodivergence and trauma and mental health.

But back then? You either kept up or got left behind.

Eventually, I returned to learning on my own terms! I earned a first-class psychology degree. Not because it was easy, but because it mattered. Because I wanted to understand how we learn, how we heal, and how we make space for both at once.

🤝 From Forensic Work to Peer Support

I now work as a peer specialist in crisis mental health, supporting people not from a place of diagnosis or detachment, but from lived experience.

It was through this work that I first encountered trauma-informed practice.

And what struck me most was:

💡 I was already doing it.

Even before I had the words, I’d always led with empathy, flexibility, and respect for individual pace.

Trauma-informed approaches just gave me a framework for what I already knew in my bones:

People, especially young people, learn best when they feel safe, seen, and supported.

🏡 Home Education Changed Everything

I now also home educate, which means I’m not just thinking about learning - I’m living it.

But when I looked for resources that reflected our values, I found:

• Open-ended overload, where every task led to more scrolling and second-guessing
• Or rigid, bossy, school-like packs, full of pressure and perfectionism

After pouring too much money into too many materials that didn’t quite fit, I started making my own:

• ✏️ Gently scaffolded but always flexible
• 💛 Trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming
• 🎨 Creative, calming, and rooted in emotional intelligence

The kinds of tools I wish I’d had -  both as a child and as a parent.

So… Am I Qualified?

Yes.

But not because I followed a perfect path.

I’m qualified because I’ve:

• Taught students who had been failed by systems
• Worked with people in deep distress
• Walked through school avoidance, trauma, and neurodivergence myself
• Learned to rebuild safety, confidence, and creativity, yes, for myself and now for others

Wonder & Scribble is where all of this comes together.

It’s not about ticking boxes, it’s about creating space.

For learning. For identity. For gentler ways of growing.

If you’ve ever looked at a worksheet and thought, this just isn’t us - you’re not alone.

This space was made with you in mind.

🌿 Want to follow along as Wonder & Scribble grows?

I share calm, creative learning ideas and behind-the-scenes reflections on the Wonder & Scribble Facebook page - I’d love to see you there.