Tanya Obeng is a teacher, dancer, actress and performer who has worked as a writer and freelance artist for 15 years. After studying at the prestigious Bretton Hall university, she set up her own dance company ‘Afro Oetry’, which focused on fusing dance and poetry.
In between setting up performance opportunities, she taught dance, drama and percussion in youth theatres, primary and secondary schools and weekend stage schools. It was during this time that she started to write plays and poetry for children and teenagers, she developed a love for drama and decided to pursue her acting career. She studied at the Actor's Centre in London and went on to perform on CBeebies, various adverts and worked in the theatre.
For the past seven years, Tanya has been teaching dance and drama at GCSE and A level (Key Stage 3-5) as well as working with teenagers in SEN units at secondary school, but she was still drawn to do more to help young people progress in school, so she set up Lifted & Gifted Education.
“Lifted & Gifted helps all children of all abilities enjoy academic subjects because of the way they are taught,” she says. “Learning can be and should be fun.”
A teacher who acknowledges everyone and has a sense of humour immediately has the child's attention, helping them to feel comfortable and safe. Every child has a natural learning style and as long as teachers are sensitive to the different styles in the classroom then it can enhance a child's ability to learn and enjoy. As a teacher herself, Tanya knows teachers can become side tracked focusing on statistics and grades, and she encourages teachers to be aware of targets without losing a sense of self and an awareness of classroom sensitivity. Being aware is like being open and through this openness breeds confidence. We are aware that children mirror our behaviours so when we project this openness it allows children to be open, creative, trust and enjoy learning. Every child wants to succeed, we can help them through believing in them.
Tanya's talks can concentrate on the following:
London
Please enquire for pricing information.
