resilient & resourced educator podcast #9

Mary: Genuine Connection Matters

Mary has been an Educational Assistant for 11 years and sees her primary role as being a caring presence for her students and a positive and encouraging support for her colleagues, Mary believes in the power of intentionally reaching out to others when things get stressful and not try to go it alone.

Back in September, Mary recalls how the anxiety around the social distancing and hygiene protocols, including the multiple layers of PPE, made it stressful to meet the students where they were at. She says that “it was so hard to not be right beside the child!” and that the “kids need us to be right beside them”. To ease the distance, Mary was conscious of using expressive eye contact and a positive tone of voice to bridge the distance between her and her students.