I started off my experience working with children, when I did a weeks work at a preschool, I really enjoyed helping the children to learn and develop. From then on I started babysitting friends children; sometimes this would involve them sleeping over so I learnt how to deal with tired children who really didn’t want to go to bed! When I was 17 I did an apprenticeship as a teaching assistant at a local primary school. I worked mainly with children from the age of 4 to 7 and was given the responsibility of being the main helper for a young child on the autism spectrum. This experience helped me realise that each child is an individual and will learn and respond to things differently. It also taught me how important communication and patience is with children. As well as working in KS1 I also assisted in KS2 helping with English lessons and reading with many of the students. I was a dinner lady at lunch times and learnt how to deal with disputes rationally and helped the children to think for themselves, instead of solving the problem for them; I would help them to figure it out on their own as much as possible.