LSI Independent Sixth Form College’s very own Lyndsey Hayes recently gained recognition in the November issue of the CIEA (Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors) newsletter!
In an insightful interview, Lyndsey provides a detailed overview of her role and extensive experience as an A-Level Psychology educator. With a teaching career spanning since 2002, she has been dedicated to instructing A-Level and other further education psychology courses. Additionally, Lyndsey brings a wealth of knowledge from her past roles as a former A-Level Psychology Examiner for AQA and a former GCSE Psychology Examiner for OCR.
Lyndsey has been teaching Psychology at LSI since 2021. She is a wonderful asset to the LSI Independent College teaching team!
Lyndsey finds it rewarding to help students better understand course material, although she acknowledges the inherent challenges within her profession. One primary obstacle she confronts is addressing misconceptions about psychology, which sometimes leads students to change subjects due to underestimating the course’s demands. She also highlights the annual “dumbing down” debate in the media and on A-Level and GCSE results day as a notable challenge.
“I find it very rewarding when students say that I have helped them to understand the subject better and feel better able to cope with the demands of studying A-Level, especially when they find the course challenging!“
Seeking continuous improvement in her assessment methods and staying abreast of research on best practices, Lyndsey joined the CIEA. She emphasizes the importance of ongoing professional development and staying informed about assessment best practices to enhance her teaching and better support her students. Notably, the Certificate in Educational Assessment course helped her design a Psychology University Foundation Programme in 2020.
Lyndsey introduces innovative solutions to enhance accessibility for students facing academic challenges. For example, she suggests changing GCSE and A-Level assessments from solely timed exams at the end of two years to include a series of shorter assessments across the two years. This approach aims to assess students on a broader range of skills over a longer period, better preparing them for university and the workplace.
Read the full interview here.
For more from Lyndsey, check out her podcast interview with Lucinda Powell on teaching psychology to EAL students.
For seven successful years, LSI Independent College has been preparing students in year 11 and 12 for entry to esteemed universities worldwide through high-quality university preparation programmes (UK A-levels).
Learn more about LSI Independent College here.