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When I was a little girl, I dreamed about becoming a teacher. I would spend endless hours teaching my dolls and teddy bears how to read and write. They were a very captive audience! As I grew older, my career path took many turns, but in the back of my mind I knew that some day I would teach "real" children the same lessons I had once learned in school.
After I had my first child, my dream began to take flight. Instead of returning to my job as a retail manager, I decided to apply to the Calgary Board of Education. I did not yet have my teaching degree but I did have my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, which enabled me to apply for the position of Education Assistant. For myself, this offered the best of both worlds. I could spend a lot of time with my family and embark on a fulfilling career of helping children. Every career has its positive aspects and its negative turns. It has highpoints and low points.
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Every career poses challenges. For myself, the biggest challenge I've had to face and overcome occurred in my fourth year with the Calgary Board of Education.
In retrospect, I was at a very positive point in my journey. I had just returned from a maternity leave (I had a second son) and I landed a position at a school very close to my home. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the children were very accepting and quite needy. It was a perfect place for me to be. I truly felt as if I was making a difference in several people's lives.
I was first assigned to a class that was dealing with a lot of difficult issues. Several of the children had severe emotional and behavior issues. I found this to be quite intriguing because I strive on challenges. There were a few students that I met with on a daily basis and actually removed them from the class to work on some of their issues. As an Education
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There were a few students that I met with on a daily basis and actually removed them from the class to work on some of their issues. As an Education Assistant, you have the unique opportunity to get quite close to these children because they learn to trust you and rely on you for guidance and support not only in their educational life but also in their personal life. I developed this type of bond with one child who was going through a difficult time in her life. Although I was able to guide her through some rough spots, and support her learning, she still had difficulties functioning in the day-to-day school environment. She grew to rely on our daily interactions and our conversations that helped her cope. I was grateful to be the support that this student needed and I was willing to do whatever I could to help her get through her school year.
Needless to say she survived the school year and returned after summer holidays. Due to the nature of
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