Clare McAllister

First job: Cafe in the local leisure centre.

What it taught me: The ability to take direction, be responsible, and work hard. Cleaning deep fat fryers (not the most glamorous), maintaining an orderly environment, making food for and serving customers. What really stuck with me was my boss at the time did not ask me to do anything she was not prepared to do. Whist there was a hierarchy – there was a culture of collaboration.

Family/status: Married to Stephen with two daughters Deirdra and Molly – our greatest achievement!

Best advice anyone ever gave you: My Aunt Deirdre was a special lady. She was kind, generous, full of fun, strong, determined and powerful. More wonderful than I could ever aspire to be. She was once told me: “We find our own paths in life. It may not be what we or others expected, but we make it our own. Live your life, regret nothing, and most of all – just be nice! It’s simple." I have stuck with that.

Best advice you could give someone thinking of a teaching career: Well the old cliché stands: you have to actually like children! Joking aside, the joy that you feel when you can see learning taking place, see the cogs whirring and the delight in the child when they achieve. Being the person who sparks that interest and motivation is a big responsibility, but also an incredible privilege. If you want to be the person that gets a child excited about learning something, discovering something new – this is the job for you. It is also a really challenging job, trying to unpick what it is that is preventing a child from growing and flourishing to be the best they can possibly be, how to overcome that and support them in doing so. As a nursery school teacher I have the best job in the world. Being the educator that helps build the foundation blocks for lifelong learning is really special. A few verses of this poem comes to mind....

Scaffolding 

Masons, when they start upon a building/Are careful to test out the scaffolding/Make sure the planks won't slip at busy points/Secure ladders, tighten bolted joints./And yet yet all this comes down when the job's done/Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.    Seamus Heaney.