The pandemic shrank the world for many students. Now, anything unfamiliar prompts either anxiety or aggression
I started working as a learning support assistant about 12 years ago. I have worked with every age group, from nursery through to people in their 60s, mostly in schools in working-class areas where the progression to higher education is low. Now, I work primarily with adult learners.
It has always been challenging work, but I never wanted a job that was driven by profit. Often, our learners have really problematic home lives and we end up being a background support system. We are not experts in this, or even trained, but we help them in whatever way we can. Sometimes, that means providing them with money or food. Sometimes, it’s about listening.
