Lizzie
Position: Learning Support AssistANT
Why did you become a teacher?
I first began working with young people through the Scouts, having been invited back by my old troop to help out at camps once I’d aged out of the youth sections. I eventually began helping on a weekly basis, and was then easily cajoled into opening an Explorer Scout Unit for the eldest scouts to move on to. I love sharing skills and experiences that had been formative in my childhood with the new generation of 4th Heston Scouts.
Because of this experience, I was occasionally asked, during my previous job at The Questors Theatre, to help out with their youth theatre. I realised that working with the youth theatre was more my calling than my work in the theatre office. When I left my main job to undertake a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, I stayed with Questors Youth Theatre as an official TA.
Working in a school seemed like the next logical step; to keep sharing my knowledge and to support more fantastic young minds. And to see what weird and wonderful things the kids have to say and teach me!
What excites you most about working at LWS?
I love the outdoors, and have been lucky to spend a lot of my childhood camping, identifying local wildlife, and generally mucking about in trees. I was so excited to discover Liberty Woodland School and the way they teach; it seemed an ideal workplace for me. I believe in trusting the young people I work with, and letting them shape their learning and growth. Most of the time, they come up with much better and more interesting ideas, free of the habits and traditions we adults have ingrained and internalised. It’s also so important to be connected with the natural world around us, and to have the environment, and the harm and good we cause it, in the forefront of our minds. I’m excited to spend everyday following my passions in my element.
What is your biggest dream for education/for children?
I hope one day we as a society fall back in love with learning for the joy of learning, and not just to tick boxes and fit moulds. I want young people to be understood and encouraged in what they find engaging, and not be made afraid of what they aren’t as good at, or don’t immediately pick up. I hope that some of the pressures of education are lifted, so children can gain and keep a love of curiosity and discovery, just for the joy of learning.