Non-Educational Work Experience

Since I graduated from my undergraduate studies, in addition to working in schools, I have worked in a number of other positions that gradually led me to or affirmed my decision to go into teaching.

 

Music School Volunteer

Prior to my degree even, I spent the majority of my weekends as a teenager volunteering at a local music school, helping children with their tuning, supporting string sections and others. By working with children in this environment, it began to plant the seed for my enthusiasim to work in the educational sector, and allowed me to gradually develop my own demeanour when working with children.

 

Sample Preparation Technician

I worked as a Sample Prep Technician for a time after graduating where a natural affinity for training new members of staff came to light, with line managers recognising that my aptitude produced highly effective new members of the team. I was also responsible for overhauling part of the daily cataloguing process for the company's received samples using my good organisational skills and insight to do this.

 

Camp Counsellor (Cabin Leader)

Over the course of the summer in 2015, I had the opportunity to work at a summer camp for disabled adults and young people in the Connecticut woodland. I was responsible for managing, assessing and evaulating a team of up to 10 other counsellors as well as providing total care for my own campers.

I worked with campers with severe autism, ADHD, total blindness, significant psychiatric issues (schizophrenia), quadraplegia, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. I performed daily personal care for my campers: feeding, washing, showering, changing and shaving them as needed. I was also required to undergo extensive first aid training, Physical and Psychiatric Management Restraint training and had to be familiar with correct seizure protocol according to the American Red Cross.

This experience was highly rewarding as it gave the campers their own holiday time and excitement outside their normal carehome environment. It also strengthened my organisational capabilities due to the rigours of the position as well as strengthening my resilience in the face of a high workload and no down-time.