From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

TEACHERS TELL THEIR STORIES: NADIA
"It would be good to be able to talk to someone in confidence who will not judge you."

To celebrate National Storytelling Week (30 January to 6 February), we asked teachers in Scotland to tell us about the good, the bad and the downright ugly of teaching. We'll show a different story every day. If you feel inspired to tell us yours, do so in the form at the end of this tale, or by clicking here.

Nadia* is a British Muslim, originally from West Yorkshire who currently works as a Learning Assistant in a High School in Edinburgh.

Here’s her story...

I liked working with children and thought becoming a Learning Assistant was a good place to start. Having two children of my own, the convenience of the working hours was also a good plus.

Having the satisfaction of good results in work produced by pupils and the great attitudes of the children you work with is great. I also like knowing each child individually: their strengths and weaknesses.

Working in a special needs school with children with behavioural issues was a big challenge for me and this was often stressful as you had to be patient and understanding no matter what. On one occasion there was a boy who was very angry and started throwing furniture at the staff. It was scary but I had to keep calm and deal with this appropriately and ask for help. I did the best I could but he didn’t completely calm down.

I think the services that Teacher Support Scotland offer, such as the telephone Support Line and Online Support could be very beneficial to staff as we do not always have the answer to things. Having this service would be a good advantage. It would be good to be able to talk to someone in confidence who will not judge you.

*Names have been changed to protect the teacher's privacy