I was inspired to write this piece based on the article in the link below. I have worked in primary education now for around 12 years doing various roles in school over the years, from classroom assistant to pastoral carer and I’m also a Youth Mental Health First Aider.
I can tell you now that those of us who choose this path as a pose to teaching, do so because we are passionate about making a difference to those children, who perhaps need that little extra bit of support, whether it’s intervention in reading, writing or maths, emotional support with difficult life situations, nurturing their self-belief through games and activities or dealing with feelings that are causing them to respond with negative behaviour.
So much more is expected of children these days, both within the education system and socially, with technology dictating so much, often creating complications that many children aren’t mature enough to know how to deal with. Whilst many children cope just fine with these extra pressures, not everyone does. Just like we all appear physically different to one another, we are all different mentally too. What one child can handle, may burn another out entirely. Situations at home or in social circles can impact massively on their work too. The signs are easy to spot in some children but others sit quietly, hiding the stress well. When a teacher has to focus on teaching all 30 children, it is easier for us to notice the small differences and step in when needed. Sometimes that’s all a child needs – to know that they’ve been noticed. To know we’ve got their back. To know they don’t have to cope with anything alone. Sometimes they need a little more.
Teachers are under so much more pressure than ever before and whilst I know they would love to be able to spend that extra time and attention with each child when they need it; time, targets and curriculum just do not allow for it. With pressures higher than ever in schools, on both children and teachers, teaching assistants have become much more involved in delivering maths and English lessons to groups of children and we play an important role in the education of your children.
The pay is far from great and in current political climates, the future of our jobs is unstable but we continue to do this amazing job, despite the challenges we face, because the reward of having a positive impact, far outweighs the risk of future job losses due to budget cuts.
I am a passionate and proud education assistant and Indigo allows me to help remove that pressure from children’s shoulders from the moment they step through to door of our Clubhouse to the end of their day with us. Holiday club allows them to step off the busy world of schooling and just be children again, where they can have fun and immerse themselves in their own imagination through all aspects of creativity and spend time outdoors at one with nature with other children of all ages, abilities, nationalities and backgrounds, where they face no judgement over their life situations, embrace each other’s differences and unite over the one thing they all have in common – they’re all children and all children love to have fun. 💖✨🌈
Bobbie Stoddon
Creative Co-ordinator and Founder
Inspired by the following article – Why Teachers Aides Deserve Our Appreciation, Every Single Day
