Have your own 'Perfect Partner'

Everyone needs a good friend :)

In life, you always need a mate. Someone you can let loose with and be your authentic, essential self with. A good mate is an ally and a cheerleader, and they want you to succeed, achieve and be happy. A pal who's been through the exact same thing as you is even more spectacular and special. They can steer you in the right direction and support you as you navigate your challenges. As a trainee teacher, I really needed a friend in school. Someone who wasn't in an official support role but was there for me every step of the way. Someone I trusted and who I knew had my back. In my school, teachers would use the phrase ‘perfect partners’ to remind pupils of how to sit appropriately for paired work. I adopted the phrase for a teacher in my school who really did become my 'perfect partner'.   

My Perfect Partner

Within the Year 1 team, there was another early career teacher (ECT). She'd trained at my school the previous year, and it was her second year in Year 1. Although her training had been quite different from mine due to the pandemic, she'd experienced being a trainee and had written the same assignments as me. She became my 'perfect partner' and friend, and my training year would not have been the same without her. She was the first person I looked for when I was feeling upset, and she always encouraged me. She supported me with my assignments, assessments, planning, technology and everything in between. We stayed late together, walked out together and had a right good giggle together. I was so blessed to have her on the team, and I really valued her experience and expertise.

As a trainee, there were times when I felt overwhelmed. Teaching full-time and being a student is a huge juggling act. There's schoolwork and coursework, and free time is incredibly elusive. There were times when I just walked into my perfect partner's classroom, and she knew exactly how I was feeling. I was on a constant carousel, and there was always something to do and think about. Having been through it herself, she knew exactly how challenging things were, and she reassured me. We were so incredibly different, but I loved how different we were :). She encouraged me to park things temporarily and to chill out for a moment, which was always the best advice.

As a trainee, finding your perfect partner in school is really important. Hierarchy can sometimes put a block on forming close relationships with specific staff, but there's always a perfect partner. People organically connect with those who are similar to themselves, and ECTs are a great support for each other.