Goodbye, Mr Donaldson

'Some people make the world a better place just by being in it.'

(Anonymous)

Today, we said goodbye to Mr Donaldson. He joined our school as a temporary member of support staff just three months ago but we couldn't keep him longer because the money wasn't there. However, in that time, he has made more impact than I thought was possible.

We held a surprise special assembly for him yesterday: without referring to Mr D, I showed the children the quote at the top of this post: 'Some people make the world a better place just by being in it.' I asked the children what kind of person that might be - they astonished me with the depth and breadth of their answers: caring, responsible, trustworthy, generous, honest, irresistible...! The list went on and on.

I then explained that, even though Mr Donaldson was leaving, he had made such a difference in such a short space of time - and almost without being noticed. How did he do this?

Mr Donaldson is one of those people who sees a need and does his best to meet it without bringing attention to his actions or disrupting proceedings. In the classroom, whilst the teacher is teaching, he will casually and unobtrusively advise a distracted child to focus. Whilst circulating, he talks to the children in an amiable way about themselves and their learning, giving respect and expecting it in return. He will identify the struggling child and give that child whatever he or she needs in order to experience success, be it his own time with the child - or additional resources to aid their learning. He doesn't need to be told what to do or who to support - he has an intuitive response which provides a life-line to the child and is a life-saver for the teacher. He has a unique, laid-back, off-hand manner which is disarming to children but which, at the same time, engages them and demands they do their best. How does he achieve this with individuals who cause teachers to despair of ever making a difference?

Mr Donaldson is relational. He is intuitive. He is resourceful. And he is focused.

Mr Donaldson builds relationships with children which enable him to see into their lives. He builds knowledge about their experiences and their needs. And he builds scaffolding to help children learn and behave - and to manage their learning and behaviour. But it's the relationship that makes the difference.

Relationships are at the core of human experience - and building relationships is a fundamental requirement for success in any field of human activity. Without good relationships, progress stalls and opportunities are missed; good relationships make for good solutions. Good relationships build trust, they build cohesion, they build bridges. Good relationships keep things in perspective: mole-hills remain as mole-hills and crises are managed in such a way as to minimise turbulence and dampen after-shocks.

I have only met one other member of support staff quite like Mr Donaldson - another quiet and unassuming man who made an impact just by being there. It makes me realise what a difference one person can make: people like me need people like them.

Goodbye, Mr Donaldson.

And thank you for making my world a better place...

Phil