By Jacob Williams
The biggest lesson that can be taught in a behavioural school is for young people to learn to ask for help, according to a teacher in Leicester.
Charlene O’Connor, who works at the independent special needs school ALP Leicester, in Birstall, said that with her experience has been a big eye-opener for her.
She said: “Progress doesn’t always look like good marks or neat books. Sometimes it’s a learner asking for help instead of walking out or trusting an adult enough to say ‘I’m not okay’.”
She acknowledged that some of the highs of her job role is by seeing how her students grow over time.
She said: “No two days are the same and you learn to laugh when a carefully planned out lesson turns into a five-minute conversation that matters far more than the task ever would.”
One of the biggest lessons Charlene has learnt herself is to not be the hero and how you’re not supposed to “fix or rescue things” but “to remove barriers, adapt learning and hold boundaries with compassion.”
Something that always stuck with her is that you don’t have to be a hero to make a difference.
She said: “Just stay human and be steady enough for people to lean on. And most days that’s more than enough.”
Charlene said her job has changed her life and has reshaped how she understands resilience because she realises now how it is not just coping but built through structure.
Something she realised is that real impact comes from consistency and not tiring oneself out trying to give attention to everything at once.
Charlene is very proud of her job and shows a lot of enthusiasm towards it.
