A CLASSROOM assistant from Twinbrook has won a prestigious teaching award for her work with young people.
Ita Quinn from Malone College in Finaghy was presented with Pastoral Member of Staff of the Year award for all UK schools at the National Awards held in England.
The school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, Mary McCaffrey praised the work that Ita does at the school.
“When you think of a classroom assistant, you think of a supportive adult who works with one or two students under the direction of the teacher. However, at Malone Integrated College, classroom assistants are so much more than this generic job description.
"One such 'assistant' is Ms Ita Quinn. Ita has worked at Malone for 18 years and has supported many students over those years with a various range of needs. Ita has worked with all age groups but has found herself most connected with our young adults as she navigates them through their post-16 studies. She has built up a wealth of knowledge across the A-Level subject offerings, as well as getting to grips with the demands of the more coursework/portfolio based BTEC qualifications.
"Post-16 students know that she is a 'Jill of all trades' and will often seek her support during their study periods to help them finalise their assignments. They know that she will encourage them to review the rubric of their assignment brief, help them seek out further research to elevate their responses, direct them to teacher given resources that they have clearly 'forgotten about' and semi-shame them into proofreading their fabulous efforts to ensure they achieve their best."
She added: "It is no doubt that Ita goes above and beyond to support our students academically and pastorally. Thankfully at 62, although she may have been issued a free bus pass, she has no intention of hanging up her Malone College staff lanyard just yet!”
