I have always wanted to be a primary school teacher, for as long as I can remember. Yet, I found primary school to be the most challenging chapter of my life. At the age of six, my brothers and I were reunited with our parents after a long separation. They were working in London while we were in the Philippines staying with our grandparents. As a shy little girl, I found going into school extremely petrifying. I could not speak a word of English and didn't have the boldness to even try. But, thankfully, I had an encourager; Mrs Pierre. She didn't just teach me maths, English and science, she helped me gain a little confidence and helped me instill a belief in myself. I wanted to be just like her.
As a result, I studied psychology at university. I thought it would be a great insight into the thinking and learning processes in children that are less understood, often because they are considered as having learning difficulties or social problems — like I had as a young girl. I focused on areas that would give me an insight into children's learning development and the study of conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and so on. I feel the personal experience topped up with an education puts me at a real advantage for understanding these issues.
I wanted to move on to a Postgraduate Certificate of Education but I thought it would be best to get a little paid experience beforehand. After all, I wasn't financially solid at the time, given that I had just graduated. I thought with a degree under my belt, there would be no problem getting a job. Boy was I wrong. I applied to various schools for paid work as a teaching assistant or administrator in order to put my financial feet back firmly on the ground, to no avail. I had been unemployed for six months when I lost all hope of ever getting employment in schools. It was so difficult living on Jobseeker's Allowance. A mere £50 more or less a week to live on was just not cutting it. I began contemplating abandoning the dream of working in education to just get any job. Did this plan go any easier? No. Following another six months in unemployment, I was at my all time low. I felt like the three years of hard work and sacrifices that I had put in to get my degree — the sleepless nights, stress and frustration — were all for nothing. Three years of surviving on old Pot Noodles, cheap bread and Red Bull — all for nothing.
On (what I thought was to be) a typical Monday morning, a job seeker advisor phoned me informing me of a vacancy at Stratford Circus as a projects and education assistant. She mentioned that it was a Future Jobs Fund (FJF) opportunity. At this point, I had no idea what this fund was. But, nevertheless, I attended the job fair that very week, handed in a written application and was interviewed by the head of education herself. Even though I thought that I had a great interview, I never thought I would get it. I've had past interviews which went well but in the end were unsuccessful. A few days later, I got the call offering me the post. I must apologise to my neighbors now; it was a loud string of celebrations after that.
After the news had sunk in and the celebrations had ended, I researched more into FJF. I found that FJF is a government-funded jobs initiative aimed at young people between the age of 18 and 25. Speaking as a young person of this age, I was rejected from all sorts of schools and companies solely on the fact that they thought I had a lack of experience. I dreaded being told: "You lack experience in the areas of..." How are young people able to get the experience they need if there isn't an opportunity in the working world to get it? This is what FJF offers. It is a great shame that young people will no longer benefit from opportunities such as this as a result of the scheme being frozen. The government tells us we must make efficiency savings but I say cutting help in this area is a big mistake.
Working at Stratford Circus has opened my eyes to new levels of learning. When we hear the word "education", the basic thoughts that may come up are books and exams. Learning at Stratford Circus is about nurturing natural talents in theatre and dance. Education is exciting again. I have been at my post for the last two months and everyday is a real adventure. One day I'm in the office, another day I'm kart wheeling with four to seven year olds. It is a job that definitely keeps you on your feet. As a previously withdrawn young girl, being able to relate to a shy little boy in the corner of class, and having the ability to get him to join, is an amazing feeling. I feel like Mrs Pierre. This job has given me an insight into the challenges of working with children, with ranging capabilities and disabilities. It is more difficult than I thought, but it has taken me to a higher level of enthusiasm.
If you want to do something similar, my advice is to make sure you have a desire to work with children. It is not only a career but a passion. It might be the most challenging job, but it is the most rewarding.
In her next piece, Maria will write more about what it's like working in arts education.
