Shadows

For those that don't know, or do but want more information, I have a new job. "What?" you cry, "Were you so abysmal as a youth worker that after three months they fired you?" No, people. It'd be nice if you thought better of me, but there we go. For those who didn't even know that I was a youth worker: where have you been? Go to my other blog for more information about that. Well, I now have two jobs. I am a part-time youth worker, a part-time Learning Support Assistant. I work in a local sixth-form college, working with kids with learning difficulties. The amount of different learning difficulties I will come across is amazing, they range from the 'dys-' conditions (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia), autism, ADHD, Prader-Willi and loads of others.

Unfortunately, until my CRB (which I personally think should be said as one sound, like 'crib') check comes through I have to shadow the other LSAs. But they're really good at what they do, so that's not too bad. I did a LADS test (Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening) today, as that's something that the student's will have to do to see if they have dyslexia. My working memory is okay, with a few problems, but my reasoning ability was pretty much off the scale, in a good way. So my risk for dyslexia was low. This job is really going to be an education, not just because I am working in challenging situations, but also because I have to go into a variety of subjects to take notes and help individuals. I've learnt stages of social development in infants, what makes good communication, and the eight challenges posed by cold environments (relief; climate; unstable ground due to solifluction and active layer; natural hazards; poverty; economic vulnerability; peripherality and low electoral importance). I feel smarter already.

Reading: The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing (I was meant to read it for university but didn't)
Grateful for: Jam and cheese sandwiches.