Having thoughts about corporate structures and feedback.

I work as a teaching assistant in an SEN Hub, but just 1 day a week (I have another job).

I've had other TAs joke about how some pupils are "obsessed" with me (sorry, trying not to humble rag here) and head towards me at breaks and I've had teachers request me to cover when they're short of assistants because they see me as having a positive remainder with students.

Yet, so far, there's been no discussion about why.

My main job is in youth work - informal education, as opposed to formal education structures like schools.

The big difference, as I see it, is that we don't assume we have any authority. Informal education depends on voluntary participation of young people, based on them trusting the workers involved.

Assumed authority doesn't count for nearly as much as earned trust, imo.

No real point, just an observation. Hope some people might find it useful.

Oh. Probably missed out the bit about corporate structures. I got pizza in the oven, so this is a quick thing..

If you want to improve things, you have to have processes in place to, not only identify and promote good practice, but to also reward it.

(not saying that b/c I want a reward, I wouldn't be anonymous if I were!)

A thing I noticed is that immediate colleagues will notice good practice but, generally, at some point there's a level where more senior figures balk at recognising it, probably because they fear being questioned why it wasn't standard practice in the first place.

Corporate structures need to actively reward suggestions for change, rather than encourage entrench meant of the status quo. That's not a thing I'm currently seeing in UK education (generally), especially within academies.