We help children grow, develop and learn whilst they connect with their natural environment, supporting schools in Scotland, England, Canada, USA, Germany and more. We are not the only people who do this but our strong links to the curriculum, being teachers and covering all subjects does make us rather unique.
We love working with both families and educational settings, whether that is schools, clubs or with other activity providers. This allows us to utilise our expertise and provide support. Our website has activity ideas and training so staff can develop at their own pace, or we can support them through face to face training and activity sessions.
Our outdoor sessions are generally based in West Lothian or across the central belt but our schools work takes us across the length and breadth of the UK and beyond.
Carol’s Tutoring focuses on building mindset and resilience and develop children’s skills and confidence with their formal learning. We specialise in working with children from primary 1 through to secondary s2.
I founded Carol’s Tutoring in 2017 and Love Outdoor Learning in 2018.
As well as being a fully qualified primary teacher, I have also completed a wide range of courses and qualifications, from Woodland Activity Leader Training to Lead Teacher in Outdoor Learning and I am also almost finished my degree in Learning for Sustainability, which has a focus on outdoor learning.
I grew up a city lass in Edinburgh but developed a love for the outdoors early on in life. I met and married a gent from Torphichen, West Lothian. While this is still very central is classed as an accessible rural area. I was a primary school teacher for a decade before setting up my first business (a tutoring business focused on primary level and mindset) and then an outdoor business that uses a forest school type approach but focused on education, supporting families and schools.
Every day is different from me as I juggle both businesses.
I start my day with some me time, meditating, writing and light exercise. From there I then log on to check emails and what is happening that day. From then, it really can vary. I might be at a school delivering outdoor sessions for children or staff training. Or, I could be in a woodland providing outdoor sessions with children or adults. I might have some tutoring after school hours as I still work with children, although my team do more. I also spend time learning, whether that is reading a book, studying for my Masters degree or attending courses or events for entrepreneurs. No two days are the same!
Over the course of a year I can support as many as half a million children online through our online support and resources. I tend to support over 1000 teachers and deliver sessions to over 12,000 children face to face when we are not in a pandemic!
The skills needed in my roles vary but they are all about forming relationships, whether that is with the schools or pupil’s we support, the families we tutor or with my staff teams. Relationships are key
Then, understanding development, how people work, the environment and having a wide range of traditional skills I can call on is also important.
I like that I get to use a wide range of skills and knowledge to create something amazing. I like talking to different people, young and old, every day and hearing their stories.
I love my job as I get to make a real difference. I was that awkward kid who found school hard but I can support children through that. I was that teacher that felt overwhelmed, and I can support them through planning and training. Being able to make a difference to people, whether they are young or old, is a real privilege and I love it.
Juggling two businesses keeps me on my toes as both have differing needs.
Working outdoors means we never quite know what we will face, what the weather will do, who might appear, what flora and fauna will be present etc. Nature changes by the second and the way it impacts people is significant. But, we always need to be responsive and ready to deal with the challenges it can present.
If I had to convince someone else of the benefits of a career in my line of work, I would ask them how they would feel about making a real difference to people, to help them grow in confidence and experience the wonder of humans and nature every day. If they like the sound of that, they will love what I do. Though, not everyone likes facing the rain and wind in Scotland on a daily basis!
Most recently I completed the Wild Things Woodland Activity Leader Course to consolidate my skills
The foraging course that I got funding to do with Herbal Homestead helps myself and my team develop our plant and tree identification skills, which I have always struggled with. But I am finding learning the folklore and its uses really helps me remember plants and trees a lot better. This builds my confidence in the woods but is also fun. This learning can then be shared with those we work with. It has already been included in the weekend groups we run and the concept has been introduced to our schools.
Lets face it, making cleavers water or nettle soup is not tricky, rehydrating wood ear fungus is fun and making cordials and tinctures is not tricky - as long as you know what you are looking for! But this means that the children we work with can enjoy all of this and develop the skills and knowledge from a very young age.