Occupation: Time Management and Productivity Coach
Company: Clare Evans
Location: Brighton, Sussex
About business: Clare specialises in time management, productivity and leadership development. Applying both business and personal coaching techniques to support, challenge and motivate individuals and organisations to maximise their potential.
About expert: Clare has been running her own business for over 20 years. She’s a coach, speaker, writer and author of ‘Time Management for Dummies’ and ‘Time Management and Productivity for Students’.
1. What’s the biggest benefit of online learning vs a traditional classroom setting?
You can do it at a time that suits the student. Working within a structure and framework, students can schedule their learning at a time that works best for them, without the rigid timetable of a classroom schedule. Some will work better or prefer to learn certain topics at different times of the day.
2. Should schools and the government pilot a hybrid / remote learning model to allow children to be homeschooled?
Definitely. If children can’t learn or need additional support, remote learning ensures they are still able to continue their education. This includes if they’re ill or absent, as well as children who find the classroom a challenging environment to learn – for example, those with learning or physical disabilities or who are neurologically diverse.
3. How do you think remote schooling could work best / be managed?
Educators should provide a ‘gaming’ element to encourage and motivate students, with a rewards based system that either contributes to their learning or provides additional opportunities. Also, to provide online testing and assessment to check learning as they work through the material.
4. How do you think digital learning will change the future of education?
The delivery of material will be in different, fun and more engaging ways. There will be an increased use of visuals, apps and games to assist learning as well as taking into account visual or auditory impairments or different ways of learning, especially for dyslexia and dyscalculia.
5. How can the government help improve digital learning?
It needs to be accessible for all children, regardless of their home situation. They need to provide the right technology, platforms and connectivity. Also, they should provide grants for low income households and support from the public sector to donate equipment and skills if needed.
6. What advice would you give to your younger self while at school?
Don’t listen to those who tell you that you can’t do something or you’ll never be good at a particular subject. With the right passion, teaching and understanding you can learn anything.
7. What was your biggest struggle in school, and how did you overcome it?
I was advised against doing science because my maths wasn’t good enough so I didn’t pursue the biology/ecology career I wanted to. Eventually I did an Open University science degree, but looking back, I struggled with maths primarily because my teacher didn’t have the patience or skills to teach those who didn’t understand it instantly.
Once I had a different teacher who was better at explaining it in ways I could understand, I eventually got through it. Turns out, my maths really isn’t that bad!
