General Questions Flashcards
Tell me about yourself.
I grew up in Cambridge and moved over to Bristol to Study at UWE which have to lead to 8 happy years of living here where I’ve been able to explore my passions and interests. I’ve always been an outdoor girl, growing up sailing and horse riding in the countryside. I’ve been animal mad since I was a child but as I’ve grown, I have always taken on educative roles with children. This includes sports leadership at secondary school all the way through to volunteering with the RSPB and Forest Schools. Combining both of my passions has led me to where I am now wanting to connect children to nature after experiencing the impact it can have on both people and wildlife but especially making outdoor education accessible for all children.
Walk me through your resume.
Studied Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science which gave me opportunities to conduct field research on biodiversity. I proceeded with an MRes in Animal Behaviour and Welfare after finding a fascination with observing animals and a passion for their welfare. The MRes gave me opportunities to work as a research assistant in the Animal Welfare Department at the university and conduct socio-economic work on the value of conservation in South Africa. Time spent working with South African students allowed me to experience the impact of environmental education and the benefits to both people and wildlife. From there alongside various voluntary roles in outdoor learning and engagement, I proceeded to study a Postgraduate Certification in Education to learn about the British mainstream school system (its benefits and limitations) and now I want to embark on a mission on connecting children to nature but I have found a love for working with autistic children and want to focus my time with them.
Why do you want to work for Out There Forest School and Kindergarten?
Out There lines up with my own values and ethos around education. I am passionate about outdoor education and placing children at the centre letting them lead their own learning while connecting them to nature. I also love that you take approaches from Steiner Waldorf who focuses on not only offering children healthy experiences but to do that effectively, practitioners need to reflect and work on themselves to ensure they have a warm and healthy attitude. Montessori is also one of my favourite educational practices. I fully support the idea that children need to be developed as a whole and that they learn best by doing, by testing their own ideas, and through play and social interactions to become confident, self-motivated learners. I personally think this form of education should go up to at least 7 years old, unlike our mainstream education system but I certainly think it’s the much more inclusive form of education after witnessing the struggle autistic children face in mainstream schools.
What is your greatest strength?
My greatest strength is definitely my ability to form relationships with children quickly and my ability to build trust which is one of my top priorities when working with children. It was one of the things that were commented on most when I was training as a teacher and especially my ability to connect with children with an additional language and children with special educational needs.
What is your greatest weakness?
I would say I am emotionally sensitive. So I have to make time to ground myself and not get overly attached to things. But this sensitivity also makes me extremely empathetic and while it is something I’ve found frustrating, I now find it helps to pick up on the emotions of children quite easily and can help me work out what they need.
What is your greatest achievement?
Honestly, I think it’s surviving our mainstream school system and still being able to be there emotionally and energetically for all the children. To be able to leave what’s going on in your personal life and still be switched on every day for your children no matter how tired or upset you might be, you must show up emotionally available for the children you are supporting. This is even more applicable when working with special educational needs as some can be highly sensitive to others’ emotions and they also really need you to support them and champion them every day. Because no matter how tough I might be finding things, I know that child is finding things 100 times more difficult just getting through daily tasks.
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work, and how you dealt with it.
There was a safeguarding issue at my second placement where I had to apply my Prevent training and ensure I completed the process accurately to ensure the case could not be dropped due to a mistake on my behalf. This involved collaborating with safeguard leads and local authorities. But despite the difficulty, it was a testament to my ability to instil trust in a child that they felt able to tell me something of that nature after my only being there for a few months. But I also had to manage my emotions as it was actually an issue that was very close to my heart, so managing that trigger was also challenging but due to my own meditation and reflective practices in my personal life I was able to do that and do my job effectively.
