JustPickOneUK

 My friend and I were sitting down after work for a coffee and a natter and we both had the same look on our faces. We are both tired. Not just tired but emotionally, physically and mentally tired. We had nothing left to give. Well nothing to give until one of her kids needed something and then suddenly more energy was required to sort out that thing.  Adulting is one of those things that your parents never tell you about. At least not properly. I suppose a child's brain is more filled with its own tunnel visioned ideas about what will happen in the next 10 minutes and cannot comprehend the next 10 years, let alone the possible next 100! But the bit that got my friend and I was the reality that it is relentless. When something is relentless it feels like it is going to get you in the end regardless of how much effort you do or do not put in. Much like the Sea. You can enjoy it but also feel terrified in equal measure. It is not all bad. You can earn money, spend it as you like...

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are in important part of the machine that is the modern day education system. Teachers are trained in providing the academic side of the learning and the TA supports the Teacher in many different ways. When I applied for the role I had no idea there would be so much more to it then assisting the teacher in the classroom and helping pupils with their learning. In a primary school like mine the children are aged between 4 and 11. This is a massive age gap when thinking developmentally. 4 year old are still prone to tantrums like toddlers and are not all proficient in using the toilet. 8 year olds are in a middling stage where they feel more grown up, they are developing more as a person with their own feelings and emotions but are still aware of rules and tend to follow them for the most part. 11 year olds feel like they are in charge of the world. Pre-teens are growing quickly, developing emotionally and beginning puberty with all of the hormone, emotional and ...

I don't know about you but my brain goes blank sometimes. Usually when I get asked a question. Something like, what's your favourite film? What's your favourite song? My brain shuts off in those moments like I've never seen a film ever before and no music exists in the world.  The worst is at bed time when your child says Tell Me a Story. I am certain he doesn't want to hear one  that goes "There once was a boy, he went to sleep, The End."  But I now have a strategy for telling a story. It doesn't take too long and as long as you follow the 5 steps I'm going to detail below then you can have a story quiet easily without too much brain fade. You can also get your listener to give you some of the information as well which makes for a tailored story for them.   In school the teachers had a training session regarding story telling and it now seems so easy. It may not be new to some of you but it provided clarity for me. There are a variety of different...

Parents get a backstage pass to their child's life. They see the ups and downs. They see their child's first words, steps, writing, singing, playing. What their child is 'into'. Favourite games, toys, people, TV shows and foods. They know what brings them comfort when in stressful situations. Now imagine you know none of this and you get handed 30 of them to care for while trying to teach them something. That is day one in a school.  When a child comes to school they are in a new place where they don't have their usual support system around them. Teachers receive a register of up to 30 children, all of whom have individual lives, likes and dislikes. Teachers also have to learn their names, try to learn any difficulties these children may have, work out who may need more help with the adjustment to school than others. Which ones are fully toilet trained, who can read simple words, who is naturally quiet, who has additional needs or who will have no clue how to regula...

Your child going to school for the first time is a big change for any household. But there are things you can do as parents to help make things smoother on you. I have sent my child in to school and I work in one as a teaching assistant and these are some things which I feel may help others.  i. Label everything. You have worked hard to choose the right school, got all of the uniform, a bag, a new bottle, lunchbox, coat, hat, gloves etc.  Most of these items will be put down or taken off and potentially lost. If you put a label on it with your child's full name your class teacher or teaching assistant has a much better chance of keeping track of it and getting it back to the right child. You don't need to use expensive labels, a Sharpie will do a good job on its own. But please check it every so often to make sure its still visible.   ii. Leave your child at the door. It sounds easy but if your child is having a wobble and in tears about going in to school, most of t...

Being a parent is hard work. That's a simple fact. Getting children ready and out the door to come to school can be a challenge. When your child gets to school, I hope they are greeted with a warm welcome so they feel they are in a safe environment with people they can trust. I try to create that environment for the children in my classroom.  Sometimes children can have a bad morning due to a variety of reasons. A bad sleep, a relative or pet passing away, a fall out with friends, family divorce, a house move or even a toy going missing are all examples of things outside school which can significantly impact their behaviour, concentration and friendships within the classroom.  Sometimes children take a different approach to dealing with tragedy than adults do (yes, a toy being lost for 10 minutes can be tragic for them). They are still learning to cope with emotions and do not have the logic as a back up to work out how to deal with them. Sometimes the reaction to bad news or ...