When Michelle Hobden started out as a teacher aide a decade ago, she dreamed of working in a tutorial centre, and now she is.
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It is her passion for helping students that has resulted in a highly commended in the Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Award for the second time in three years.
The School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) at Gunnedah High School was nominated for the 2020 award by head teacher of well-being, Bec Henderson.
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Ms Hobden has been at the school for two years and put her hand up to become a key part of the new Milroy Centre, which was launched to re-engage students falling behind and get them back on track so they can return to mainstream classrooms.
The centre was established in the Gunnedah Scouts grounds in early August and is part of a three-year plan.
Ms Hobden is a teacher in the tutorial classroom and looks after 7-10 students five days a week for two terms at a time. At the moment, she is responsible for year 7 and 8 students.
"My job is to basically get them back into engaging in their learning and getting them back up to the academic side of it, ready for them to transition back into mainstream," she said.
She won't deny it's a tough gig, but she "loves working with children with challenging behaviours" and has years of experience from Gunnedah South Public School to draw on.
"Having the hands-on experience for those nine years and working with a lot of different teaching approaches, I've been able to gain that experience," she said.
"I became a teacher's aide ... because this is where I wanted to be - I wanted to be teaching in a tutorial centre, so the hard work has paid off."
The children that I work with, every day's a new day, and they need to know that. The past is the past and I need to get them into the future and thinking about their future.
- Michelle Hobden, school learning support officer
Ms Hobden said patience and flexibility were vital in her role and being "cool, calm and collected".
"The children that I work with, every day's a new day, and they need to know that. The past is the past and I need to get them into the future and thinking about their future," she said.
It's also important to "make the kids feel equal" and involve parents whenever possible.
"I like that every day's not the same and I'm continually learning as well," Ms Hobden said.
"I enjoy it. I like the challenge of finding out ways different children learn ... the challenge of seeing what works and what doesn't.
"It's finding the way to engage them in that learning."
Ms Hobden believes mentorship is another element that is sorely needed - she has been one herself in previous years - and she's hopeful a system can be put in place soon.
"Children today need a one-on-one mentor from outside of school ... just someone to talk to and not push them in a particular direction, to want them to do all this themselves, take responsibility, and show that they can do it," she said.
"Being in a small community, it might just take one person to build a repertoire with a child."
