BY SUSANNA PINKUS
I came across this photo recently (from circa 1977). Even as this little girl, I remember instinctively seeing and feeling children struggling at school and trying quietly to help. It is hard to explain really but I could just sense what was going on. And as I got a bit older, sometimes I tried to explain to teachers what was going on too (that must have been very irritating looking back 🙈).
Now at 52, I am in a state of flow when I work, and I just know this is what I am meant to be doing. Whilst part of me still always wants to be that quiet person not really standing out at all, when it comes to using my voice to articulate what I know these young people need, I become relentless. One way or another, there is always a way!
I never fail to get the hugest sense of joy from enabling young people to be and feel understood (sometimes for the first time). Truthfully, most of the time, it rarely ever feels like work at all.
Whilst there are many things I am terrible at: my sense of direction is appalling, I struggle to recall a string of 4 digits and I get motion sickness even on a swing, bring me a young person who is struggling in life and learning, and I am in my element.
