We thought we can tell you something about our work because the school assistants are present at this Erasmus project.
In our school every school assistant is professional. Everyone has got the professional degree. There are about thirty assistants in our school. They work with preschool pupils, with handicapped pupils in special classes, with first and second grades morning and afternoon activities and only a few are working with so called normal classes pupils.
We help the pupil personally to find solutions in learning situations, for example in history to find out the answers from the text, in maths help to solve more difficult exercises. We do not offer the right answer, just only help the child to find it by him- or herself. We encourage the children to be self-motivated. Always we are the working partner with the teacher and sometimes we work as a substitute teacher.
Furthermore we are pedagogues ( educators ) in school's everyday life who are taking care of values and aims, which are written in our school's teaching plan. We work together with teachers and other adults in our school that pupils will get enough self-confidence and chances to plan and carry out to live in a good member of our society. In our school everyone has to create and get better skills to get along with all pupils and in everyday life in general. We assistants are often in these kind of situations and we try to help pupils to accept others opinions and to explain their own opinions and of course everyone to respect each other. The child/pupil is not always able to find right and acceptable ways to solve these kind of problems and these are moments we are needed. Our duty is to show the way to solve problems without violence and shouting. Good manners and respecting others are everyday skills we are practicing constantly.
We look after the pupils with teachers during breaks. The children play many different games with each other or just talk with friends. Very popular place in our school, where assistants are always looking after children, is so called Arena. That is a little sports field next to a football field in our back yard. Sometimes problems and arguments appear in children's relationships. We have to solve these problems and in this work so called Verso-pupils help us. There are some pupils in every class from grades 4-6 who has got the training and education to this Verso-duty. Those Verso-pupils have the skills to talk about problems and to find the solutions to problems. In English we call them as equal mediators. Erasmus-visitors in our school in autumn 2015 got a little this Verso-education. This Verso has proved to be a good action in this kind of situation.
In our school we do not accept any kind of bullying. Every adult's duty is to interrupt these situations. Every adult in our school has chance to send the pupil in so-called Kake-event. In this meeting “ Kake “-teacher discusses with pupils and the pupils must contact their mom or dad by phone and explain what he/she has done.
Assistants take also part in alternative lessons as assistants or teachers (pupil has chosen one activity from sports, art, acting or other voluntary acts). Every grade has one alternative lesson a week. This is very popular and the pupil can choose his/her special things. One pupil can choose four different courses during school year.
Many child has got more self-confidence and appreciation by this activity. It is the best thing to see the pupil, who has found his/her skills and who brings the joy, hope and acceptation to other people.
We wish you all beautiful spring and sunny summer!
