About Creative Hare

Teacher & Writing Mentor

Meet Clare Lloyd

I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Durham university and I achieved my PGCE qualification as a school teacher from Plymouth Marjon in 2010. For 10 years I taught in both state and leading independent schools in southwest London which has given me a tremendous wealth of teaching knowledge and experience. In 2019, I swapped London life for Devon whilst continuing to teach children remotely. 

Creative Hare has been built from the ground-up through sheer passion and hard-earned experiences and I know exactly what it takes to build long-lasting partnerships with families. My ability to help children nurture their voice by tapping into what makes them individual has worked wonders with so many children. 

Giving children a safe space to think, dream and follow their imagination opens the door into their personal writing journeys. My teaching experience continues to inspire and evolve, shaped by every child and parent who joins Creative Hare. 

A Highly Personable Service

Warmth, honesty and a genuine ability to make a difference is what makes joining Creative Hare so special. Striking a fine balance between challenge and nurture is what makes the classes so satisfying and fun.

Many families who join Creative Hare have busy lives who highly value the individual attention that their child receives. I know that opportunities for increased attention are scarce in a school environment and that is why I founded Creative Hare. You don’t even have to be a Zoom pro to take advantage of the clubs, I'll happily walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have.

Teaching Style

Delve into the world of Creative Hare and you’ll experience a reliable and inspiring service with a focus on creating positive vibes. Building voices to be kind and strong in a relaxing and informal atmosphere is the bedrock of my teaching philosophy. I believe my role as a teacher is to identify each child's unique creative streak and to find ways to encourage them to express their imagination in a fun way.

I appreciate that writing isn’t always easy, it’s often full of laughter, frustration, self-doubt, wonderous moments and oodles of imagination! It’s within our individual journeys where children reap the most benefits of their efforts. 

Choosing The Right Club

Hobby Writers:

I believe that group teaching is most effective when all children share a common writing goal. For this reason, Creative Hare runs writing groups specifically for children who are hobby writers, a perfect place to meet like-minded individuals and swap book recommendations!

11Plus:

In 2022 there will also be a specialist writing group for children in Years 4 and 5 who are preparing for the 11Plus. I can help you to get prepared and feel confident!

Teaching That Works

In the classroom I discovered that sharing inspiring pieces of writing didn't translate into children producing good-quality writing. I realised that sharing fantastic pieces of writing (written by adults) often widened the gap between children's perception of where they were and where I wanted them to be by the end of the lesson. Yes, there would be 'ooohs' and 'wows..' they were clearly impressed, but they simply couldn't relate to these polished pieces of writing. Another approach was needed...

Shared Writing

Shared writing, where the teacher cajoles and scribes the children's ideas to create a model piece didn't seem to be that effective either, unless of course it was a short piece! Minds would wander and invariably it was the same child volunteering their ideas, so this strategy wasn't exactly the biggest motivator for inspired writing. Children needed something relatable to 'hook' their imagination...but I had yet to find it.

It was through many hours of after-school tutoring that I learned how working with children on their level to engage and inspire was the key to unlocking their creativity. Children as individuals have different preferences for planning and writing stories, so finding out more about these style and using them to their advantage, I realised, was a huge part of each child's success. Once I embedded this new approach into my teaching I knew that teaching children in small-groups and on a 1:1 basis was the way forward and I haven't looked back since. 

Natural Storytellers

As a mentor, the best part of my job is to create a warm, trusting connection with your child within a small group setting. I encourage every child to feel relaxed, to enjoy the writing process and to share without judgement, as I believe this is key to maximising the potential of each individual.

Children are natural storytellers and it is a joy to witness the personal satisfaction and fulfilment children feel from writing stories of which they have created.

Storywriting Success

Building a rapport with children is key to teaching, both in-person and online. There’s no doubt that my valuable teaching experience means I'm able to build meaningful connections with those who I work alongside. To succeed, children need to feel valued; this means they want to be heard in order to thrive in their own unique way.

Giving children a platform to express their individuality through their writing allows them to grow in confidence. In an increasingly competitive world, having a strong sense of self is key to personal happiness and success. 

CREATIVE HARE'S VALUES...

1. Authentic Positivity - Always be encouraging with a positive voice

2. Active Listening - What children say is important for their development, confidence and makes children feel heard

3. Be a knowledge guide - Use your knowledge to guide the child on an individual basis

4. A Balanced approach - Creativity, Empathy and structure are equally important to developing individuality

5. Creative Confidence - Empowering children to explore their creativity by considering new ideas and questioning their assumptions 

Clare 

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