The importance of Teaching Assistants

In April of this year, news broke that Education Secretary Michael Gove has implemented a plan to axe 232,000 Teaching Assistant jobs across the country; a move that's part of an attempt to save £4 billion and decrease the Department of Education budget. 

From 2000, the number of Teaching Assistants increased from 79,000 to the 232,000 TA's that are now deemed, according to studies, to lessen pupils’ abilities of achieving similar results to fellow classmates. 

However, these cuts that will lead to the loss of TA's could have a fundamental effect on a student's chances of accessing the Education curriculum in a differentiated but attainable way; particularly a student with special education needs. 

I work as a Teaching Assistant for students with special educational needs at a secondary school. Students that I assist have needs that span from Autism, Aspergers, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Tourettes and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder. There are also students who live in difficult social backgrounds that find comfort and solace in being part of the school environment and around staff. Every day the SEN (Special Educational Needs) department where I am part of a team work tirelessly throughout each school day to make sure that students who need support, receive it, as well as providing an ear to listen and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. Teachers provide work that helps a student understand the objective of a lesson whilst also keeping Teaching Assistants like myself up-to-date with the curriculum or individual lesson plans.

Helping a student achieve something is a wonderful feeling. It doesn't necessarily have to be a grade or a mark on the paper, though this is the priority. Sometimes just helping a student develop a social skill can be just the same level of achievement.  Two weeks ago, I taught one of my students who has Autism the importance of apologising as he didn't like doing it because it made him think what he did wrong. At the time I helped him write an apologetic letter to someone and it helped amend the situation. Today, he turned round, unprompted, and apologised to me for something he did that morning. A big step and a proud moment for him. An example of a step that can be taken on by the student to take with them outside the school walls; something that may be seen as small, but to them is so vital.

Other TA's work to provide programm to help students with Dyslexia or Dyspraxia to develop their reading and writing skills, groups to work through social settings and school life as well as one-to-one mentoring sessions to provide a professional link between staff and students. I can't obviously speak for TA's in other schools, but I know, based on huge amount of effort and time that my team puts in, that Teaching Assistants are a valuable resource to students. 

Michael Gove was quoted to have said 'The quality of teachers has a greater influence on children's achievement than any other aspect of their education'

I agree and disagree, Mr Gove. Yes, teachers do have a greater influence on children's achievement, but Teaching Assistants help guide them towards it, particularly those who need support the most and those who can get lost in the educational system. 

The Big Easy Express

Nostalgia seems to be the primary sustenance for trends in the last decade. Or it seems to me anyway. Fashion even from the corners of the 20's has found it's way back into people's wardrobes and spread across magazines. Increasingly, vintage has become the new thing to have, a hunger has been established where having that atypical unique addition has become a hunt for many fashionistas and trend followers alike. It has now become the in thing to shop in a charity shop to discover such a treasure, especially for £1.50. It seems in times when hands are less likely to part with money without a pressing thought like we used to, most are turning to artifacts and trends from years past to keep things simple and less constraining.

This isn't just in terms of fashion or what we buy; but also in terms of music.The Big Easy Express, a film by Emmett Malloyfollows three bands across a momentous tour on a vintage train across America last April. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Mumford and Sons as well as Old Crow Medicine Show joined together to give audiences in 6 cities from San Francisco to New Orleans whilst trailing the length of the country's rail system. The film documents what one of the musicians calls 'a tour of dreams', showing the endless music, jubilance and happiness that goes with it. The film is currently showcasing at the SXSW festival in Austin,Tx, and it should hopefully be later released independently. But Big Easy Express is just one example of

musicians I've seen who have produced albums that have style of a nostalgic sense, reverting back to the straightforward, simplistic but feel good vibe without any embellishments or any attempt to be more complicated than it is. This tour just goes along with that.

Let's take a walk...

One of the enticing aspects of New Zealand for the huge number of backpackers it gets all year round is its scenery. Nearly everywhere you go in the country, the view is worthy of being the front of a postcard or the setting for a film; as Peter Jackson saw fit. My travels through the Land of the Long White Cloud had so far consisted of making my way down through the North Island, going through towns with their own unique attraction to explore. Waitomo had the Glow worm caves that had me abseiling into the depths to wade through ice cold water, and float on rubber rings to stare agog at luminesant maggots that made me feel I was floating through space. Rotorua, famous for its volcanic geysers and sulphuric smell, gave me the opportunity to try White Water rafting which has now got me hooked and searching for the next set of raging rapids.

But I wanted to see more of New Zealand than your usual adrenaline junkie fix that the country has also become renowned for. These activites, fun and a good of an experience as they may be, can also become distracting from what the real part of NZ is all about. So that's when I made the decision of taking on a three day hike through Tongariro National Park, located on the North Island near Taupo. This was also the location of the omninously named, (thanks to a certain film) Mount Doom. Before this hike, the most intense walks I had partaken in included the holding of shopping bags or a hurried stride to work due to a nonexistent alarm. This hike was going to be a completely new challenge for me, but that was what I was here for and I couldn't wait to do it.

The first of the three days the walk was 9 and half hours long to our first hut located on the other side of the volcanoes; Tongariro, Ngauruhoe (Doom) and Ruapehu. The three days basically took us round all three with overnight stops to break it up. I found the first day the easiest. I felt quite energised and enthusiastic for the trek ahead, feeling more like I was on a brisk walk than a hike. The only point where I thought to myself, 'Why?! Why am I doing this?' is when I had to climb up 'The Devil's Staircase'. The name says it all, even by the most expert of hikers. The further you climbed, the longer the staircase seemed to become like a cruel game played by the path.The steepness didn't help either. The staircase had me grumbling and cursing to myself each step I went, with my friend and fellow hiker, Matt telling me 'You're not going to like this' from way up ahead when he spies the next set of stairs going into the distance. Thankfully I persisted and pushed myself and got to the other side. After that, inclines didn't seem so bad and I took them all in my stride.
The view from the top of one of the craters was astounding. I was standing ontop of a volcano and I could see across the whole park. In front of me were the Emerald Lakes, a trio of bodies of water that were a beautiful turqoiuse green.

 Turning 360, there are mountain ranges as far as the eye could see and I felt on top of the world. I thought I had seen the most amazing view of the day; but that was until I reached our first hut of the hike. The scenery that greeted me made the 9 hour walk totally worth it. For the whole evening, I watched the world around me change as the sun went down and a full moon rose. It was the perfect moment for a timelapse film, and I just sat outside the hut (wearing three layers mind!) watching it all in front of me.

The second day proved a little more difficult. In order for us to reach the summit of Tongariro, we had to make our way back up the incline we struggled to come down the previous day. The slope was made up of rocks which made walking up the side akin to that of walking in porridge. Unfortuantly, when we were making our way back down it, I slipped and twisted my knee. This accident became my burden for the rest of the day. Wearing my cousins size 5 shoes on my size 6 feet didnt help my feet or my mood, but I trudge on nonetheless.  The terrain in New Zealand changes sporadically and can leave you feeling a little bewildered. At one point we were walking through desert like areas and out of nowhere, a huge forest appears with a huge river flowing through it. It was so surreal, but gave the hike an extra adventurous feel. I felt like an explorer finding new lands.

The whole hike gave me an appetite to take on more walks. I felt accomplished and it gave me an insight on what I could be missing if I didn't push myself to use my own two feet to get out in the world beyond brick walls and civilization. Despite my twisted knee, I loved every minute of the hike. It's definitely prepared me  for more to come on the South Island, which I've heard is even more breathtaking.

If I had a boat

Taking a walk on the wild side

I was very lucky to have one of my closest university friends, Sherif,  fly over to visit me as a surprise a couple of weeks ago. It was so lovely to see someone from home, having been away now for 5 months. It took me at least an hour to get over the shock of seeing him in the flesh rather than catching up through the universe of Facebook or Skype which I use as a somewhat connection to life back home.

So, after he came back from two weeks of throwing himself out of a plane/into a canyon in Queenstown, he came and stayed with me before going back to Blighty. With a long flight ahead of him, we both agreed that taking it easy was the way to go. What did we decide to do? Take a four hour walk around the Bay. I know a four hour walk doesn't sound like the most logical thing to do in terms of relaxation, but in a country as beautiful as New Zealand it's hard not to dig out the walking boots, or in my terms, Converse.

Taking a walk is probably the one of the most refreshing and relaxing of outdoor activities. There's a lot more to it than just putting one foot in front of the other. It's taking in the scenery around you, feeling the warm sunshine bask on your skin, feeling your heart pound against your chest as you tackle a monster of a hill and exploring new parts of a place you would never otherwise see. I'm currently staying near one of New Zealand's many beaches; Long Bay , which provides a trek down to the other side of its rolling hills. From Long Bay beach alone you can see mountains that are situated on a different part of the island, and Rangitoto, a dormant volcano lying not too far from the mainland against the turqoise of the Pacific. Not too shabby as far as scenery goes, especially one that's 10 minutes away from my doorstop.

Long Bay

View from the top of the Bay

After walking up quite a few inclines and over a couple of stiles,  we ended up on a completely different beach, scattered with rocks (some of which I promptly tripped over), with a view over to the other part of the island where I could see the bare trunks of the edge of a logging forest, and masts of boats lining the horizon. It had such a peaceful feel to it, secluded from any type of traffic. Walking along our newly found stoney (and slippery!) beach, we came across trees that had fallen from the tops of the cliff edge now lying skeletal, grey with branches reaching like fingers forlornly to the water, as if it had been its last desperate act. It was an interesting and sad thing to see, all these trees uprooted all along the beach having fallen to their demise due to the cliffs eroding away.

Part of the tree graveyard

Uprooted Pine tree

We kept going until a marshy spot of ground made us come to a halt. Now, me being the amateur interpid explorer declared that the mud didn't look as viscous at first impressions and it sure wasn't going to put a stop to our adventure. So, on we went and sure enough with each footstep, our shoes and balance became victims to both my judgement and the mud. I don't think Sherif's TOMS will ever fully recover. We went back up to where we had walked down to the beach but unforntuantly, a boundary sign declared the end of the walk and the start of someone's private land.

The Dreaded Marsh Land

Sherif's sunken footprint

But a walk like this is an experience to add to the wonderful moments I have. I can look back on it  and think of it as a time where I got see another part of the Bay and  where I laughed so much I couldn't walk. It was really nice to share it with a friend most of all, to have someone to talk to and share ideas, and laughter. I have always loved being outside, out of the house and away from any distractions. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that the Internet Explorer isn't the only place where you can discover and learn things. As Christopher McCandless wrote on his ill-fated, soul searching trip as depicted in the film Into the Wild, 'The freedom and simple beauty is too good to pass up...'

Happy on our adventure

like a hole in the head

100 things

Recently, I've been thinking to myself about what I want to do in life. Big subject, I know. But for me, and those who know me, I've always been focused on my future career, a path with which has caused me some frustration and confusion as time as gone on. I have ideas of what I want to do, and I've grown up thinking that the way to go was a straight 'school, sixth form, uni,' kinda deal.Then that's it. It would be time to go straight onto that all important first step of my professional life. How wrong and naive I was. As part of what the media have dubbed 'The Lost Generation'due to the continually rolling recession, my path to my dream future job , like many other people I know, is a case of wandering with your arms out in front of you in thick cloud rather than being able to see it in the horizon. Even an aspiration such as living in your own place out of university is seemingly hard now. So I did what quite a lot of young people are doing now. I went travelling. A dear friend of mine wisely told me that life is about living for the moment, and it's something that has stayed with me. I've been so caught up worrying what's going to happen for me in a year or two time, that I forgot to take in what's happening right now and what moments I would like to live in and have to look back on. So I decided to compile a list of things that I would like to do in my life at some point. Some of the things may seem a little silly, but it's things I want to do or try. Yes, a job is still important to me and obviously I will need one to fund some of my ambitions and who knows what will happen in my future.But whatever it is, I've now learnt to be quite happy that I don't know what my future holds, and to appreciate moments more. So this is what I would like to see happen in my life. I plan to have 100 things down, but am only half way done so far. I'm sure I'll add more as time goes on.

1. Walk through Central Park during Autumn
2. Own an old film camera and use a darkroom again
3. Live in my own apartment
4. Go to Berlin
5. See Bon Iver in concert
6. White water rafting
7.See the Northen Lights
8. Get married (which won't happen for a long time though!)
9. Have an article or short story published
10. Live in Bristol
11. See my friends from camp again
12. Climb a mountain
13. Do something sponsered for charity
14. Meet Ewan McGregor (If only!)
15. Own my own cat
16. Read all of the 100 greatest novels of all time (according to The Guardian)
17. Take a photography course
18. Go to the Isle of Skye.
19. Go snowboarding again with my cousin Dani
20. Learn how to make jewellery
 21. Grow my hair really long (I've been prone to having it cut short due to impatience)
22. Volunteer at home
23. Volunteer abroad
24. Own a bike with a basket
25. Be a bridesmaid (I had a chance once but couldn't because of my A Levels being on during the time of the wedding)
26. Watch every single Alfred Hitchcock film
27. Bake at least one of the each dessert ( Lemon meringue is off the list)
28. Get another tattoo
29. Slow dance with a loved one (I'm a romantic fool)
30. Go sailing
31. Go to the Rose Theatre and watch a Shakespeare play
32. Learn Origami
33. Go whale watching
34. Own a pair of Dr.Martins
35. Grow my own watermelons on my parents allotment
36. Go away somewhere with Laura, my closest friend from university 
37. Learn how to blow glass
38. Go for a walk on a beach on a winter's day
39. Backpack across Europe
40. Go to St David's with my friends for another camping trip
41. Star gaze on a beach
42. Go hiking
43. Improve my guitar playing skills
44. Go to the Relentless Freeze Festival in London
45. Be a 'morning person'
46. Go to a Vivian Maier photography exhibition
47. Go Ice skating (albeit I am terrible considering I can't even walk properly on pavement as it is)
48. Sky-dive (I'm reluctantly putting this on the list as I'm a bit scared of heights, but it's definitely something I would like to experience)
49.Go backstage at a gig/concert
50. Keep surfing
51. Go scuba diving again
52. Spin a globe and go to the country my finger lands on (if circumstantially possible)
53. Go to a fashion show
54.Visit English heritage sights
55. Crowd Surf at a gig or festival
56. Go to a music festival abroad (Bennicassim, Coachella)
57. Learn how to wakeboard
58. Go on a night out with all my sixth form friends. (It's hard now everyone is doing their own thing)
59. Take an art class
60.