Working as an EA for the past 3 years has been a profoundly enriching experience for me. I have had the  precious opportunity to work with a number of children who have special education needs and require different kinds of support to access learning in the school environment. 

I support students with diverse learning and physical needs under the supervision of the teacher to provide academic, social and personal care support. Every child that I work with is different with their own set of challenges and unique personalities and they often lead me to fresh insights on my own thoughts and abilities. I have gained valuable experience working with these children, and I have realized that supporting students is not only about meeting their academic and physical needs, but building trust and understanding. I have learnt that everyday working with these students is not same and many times the same strategies do not work. Being calm and proactive in such situations is key to keeping incidents at bay. 

As an EA I have learnt strategies that make a real difference to students. Use of visual schedules and task breakdown help them stay organized and motivated. Calming exercises and sensory breaks help to mitigate challenging behaviour. Positive re-enforcements help build self confidence while active listening builds trust. Seeing a child that I work with achieve their goals even if they are small steps, brings me great joy and satisfaction and motivates me to go on. 

My course at Sheridan College gives me the opportunity to improve and enhance my ability by learning about the various strategies and approach in a formal and structured way. This will help me deliver the right support in an efficient way to each child I work with. I believe every student can learn when given the right support and encouragement.