{"id":241209,"date":"2026-02-03T10:27:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T10:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=241209"},"modified":"2026-02-03T10:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T10:27:07","slug":"support-staff-can-recognise-and-share-their-value-by-journaling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/support-staff-can-recognise-and-share-their-value-by-journaling\/","title":{"rendered":"Support staff can recognise and share their value by journaling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Too often, learning support staff<\/a> are viewed as supporting actors in their own schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their work becomes defined by lists of tasks, usually dictated by someone else, rather than as an expression of their own expertise. Under these circumstances, professional identity is rendered invisible, or worse, non-existent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet having a sense of one\u2019s own professional identity is important, because it guides decision-making and strengthens confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to suggest one potential simple and effective solution: journaling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through reflecting on the subtle interventions they enact daily and their approaches to problem-solving, support staff can make their skills visible and articulate the real impact they have on pupils\u2019 learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For special educational needs coordinators (SENCos), encouraging this practice provides a way to unlock the full potential of their teams, and, ultimately, the classroom itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know this from experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capturing the discreet but significant moments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before pursuing a PhD, I worked as a teaching assistant, so at times I felt the frustration of being \u201cinvisible\u201d in the classroom and in staffrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When planning my PhD project, I began with the justified principle that teaching assistants, like myself, were professionals, and I became committed to exploring ways of prioritising their voices in communicating that professionalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own academic research<\/a>, alongside numerous qualitative studies, shows that journaling allows staff to see and communicate the expertise in their everyday work. It captures the discreet but significant moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This could be the clever rephrasing that suddenly makes a concept click, or having the foresight to step back to allow a student to take ownership, or quietly supporting a learner so they stay engaged rather than switch off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through writing, these moments become evidence of skilled professional judgment and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of practicability, journaling involves setting aside short but regular periods to describe experiences from the school day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using open-ended prompt questions such as \u201cwhat are you most proud of this week and why?\u201d is the most accessible initial method of entry for those unused to professional reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private or shared<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Journals can be hand-written or digital. They can be private or selectively shared with a trusted colleague. Eventually, learning support staff would become more comfortable with moving away from prompts, deciding instead what they feel is worth reflecting on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, safeguarding and data collection must be taken into account. Journal entries should focus on thoughts and feelings rather than records of confidential details, and references to pupils and colleagues should be anonymised. Support staff will be well aware of the need for these precautions in their professional duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, journaling can help staff build a coherent professional narrative. Patterns may emerge offering insights into relationship-building, mediation, problem-solving, emotional labour and pedagogical insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are skills rarely reflected in job descriptions, yet they are central to inclusive education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journaling also encourages metacognition (Bashan & Holsblat, 2017; Chirema, 2007)<\/a> where professionals reflect on why they make certain decisions, what strategies work, and how their actions might incorporate their own values as well as those of the institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For SENCos, supporting this practice could also be an investment in the school\u2019s professional capacity, as staff who can articulate their expertise are better equipped to seek targeted professional development and collaborate confidently with colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If schools want to stop underestimating the impact of learning support staff, they need to give them the tools to see and speak for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journaling, on a weekly basis, is a way of helping staff articulate their contribution, and claim a professional identity they can be proud of.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By recording and reflecting, \u2018invisible\u2019 staff can evidence their professional judgment and creativity, says Siobhan Melay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":240937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1114],"post-theme":[2884],"class_list":["post-241209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-support-staff","post-theme-solutions"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t