What Mindstretch Staff Say

We asked our staff for their impressions of their work at Mindstretch. We asked them to be honest and to share any thoughts without filtering. Here’s what they say.

Bongi, Teacher Aide

• What do I like about Mindstretch? I like everything, this is like my other home. I love working with the children. I’ve always enjoyed children, and I have a daughter myself. I also like the environment. I’ve worked at both the campuses and both are special places.

Deborah, Teacher Aide

• It’s all about the kids. I love them so much, too too much. I’ve been at Mindstretch for 7 years. I could never leave because what would happen to my kids? I know there are other very good teachers, but these are my kids and to them I’m totally committed. I teach the more challenged children, but really I find them quite easy to care for, and easy to love. Honestly, I find adults more difficult! I love Mindstretch kids.

Fahiema, Teacher

• My greatest joy is the children. I work with the youngest and learn something new from them every week. I love seeing how they improve. I have many success stories, one child could not walk or talk, and now he is walking and we’re working on his speech. Another could not keep focused, but now he pays attention much better. My work here has helped me with my own son who was diagnosed 9 months ago with autism. At home I apply the things I’ve learned at Mindstretch, and Jennifer helps me with modifications if something isn’t going so well. Already things are more settled, and my husband and I feel more confident about the future. 

Fatima, Teacher  

• I love that I keep learning. Each child is developmentally different, with their own challenges, and we work hard to help every one. For example, I have a child with apraxia – he can’t make the right movements to make speech. It was a new challenge for me. I had to quickly learn about it so I could help him. I really like the training support too. The weekly teachers’ meetings are always interesting, and we also get training. Sometimes the training teaches something new. Other times it is a good recap of what I’ve learned before. I’ll think how could I have forgot that? or Why aren’t I doing that? It reminds me of the things I learned in my own teacher training. It’s like switching on the light again.  

Jo-Mari, Teacher Aide

• I’ve learned so much at Mindstretch. I’ve met the most amazing people and the school had become my second home. I remember how cautious I was on my first day, not knowing what to expect or what to do. Since then I’ve learned that all special needs kids are different and that they all can learn, just not on the same schedule or in the same way. You have to find what works for each of them. All they need is lots of love, encouragement and patience. One of my greatest joys at Mindstretch is seeing my students remember new things I have taught them.

Kelli-Jane, Teacher

• There is the most incredible support system in place at Mindstretch. I gel with all the teachers. I love the children, they might be learning-challenged, but they are also gifted in many ways. It gives me reason to live. I appreciate how Jen trusts us, she is so supportive, and also inclusive – she wants our opinions, and she listens to us. I’ve never felt so appreciated. It’s changed my outlook, both at work and in my personal life. I was so amazed by the outreach program we did during covid. I would never have thought we could support learning-challenged children remotely. It makes me realize that anything is possible. So many people were affected by covid, but Jen managed to keep all us teachers in work. It is amazing.

Leslie, Teacher

• I love the children, also the other teachers and our boss Jennifer. I love the environment as well, the garden is my special place. In the morning, I go and put my bag in the classroom and then come into the garden to greet the children as they arrive, and spend some with them outside until school starts. I find the natural environment helps me to find my peace and I see how it also helps the children. I very much enjoy teaching at Mindstretch and I’m glad to have this developing career at this stage in my life. I feel lucky to have the position of teacher at the school.

Lucia, Teacher

• I’m so happy here, I love the team work, we all work together and understand one another, there’s no animosity, just frankness and openness. It’s energetic. I love all the teachers, and also the kids. It comes from Jen. I’m quite new to the school but it’s like I’ve known Jen for years. 

Lulama, Teacher Aide

• As a teacher aide I cover many tasks. I enjoy helping with the activities like counting practice and puzzles. I’m also involved with cleaning and helping the children with potty training. I enjoy working with the children and I’ve learned so much at Mindstretch. I’m confident now that I know how to handle children with autism well. I’m very impressed by the quality of my colleagues. They are all so well qualified and have a lot of experience with special needs children. They share their knowledge and I’ve learned a lot from them, and every day I learn more and more.

Noda, Tutor

• The children I care for can be challenging, but I love them and help them to be their best. I really like that our boss Jennifer understands the pressures and she’s not on at us all the time about little things, but rather helps support us with any difficulties. We focus on the important things that help the children do well. This is a very special school.

Pam, Teacher

• This is my happy place. I get so much satisfaction from seeing the children improve. They won’t want to do something at first, and then later with good teaching they do it. It’s so satisfying. I love getting to know all of them, how they learn individually, and what each one needs to learn. It is tiring and you need patience. I’m not usually patient, say in a supermarket queue, but at school I am. Jennifer is a great boss, the best I’ve had, and I’ve worked at quite a few schools.

Rene, Office Manager & Aftercare Lead

• I really enjoy Mindstretch, it’s so interesting and also satisfying. I really enjoy working with Jennifer. At first, I was a little cautious with the children, not being sure of how to interact with them. But quite soon each showed me what they liked and needed. For instance, one little boy absolutely loves hugs. The children are all so different, like all of us, but every one of them has great love in them, and a need to be loved. Occasionally I leave my office duties to help in a classroom. It’s fun and interesting for a day but exhausting too. It gives me great respect for what the teachers do every day.

Talent, Teacher Aide

• I love that I learn about these kids, and also learn from them. I hadn’t realized how much difficulty some of them have, and I wouldn’t have known how to help them until I came here. I love helping them improve. And I feel like I grow and learn too, all the time. Mindstretch has given me new skills and a lot of knowledge about learning-challenged kids. 

Thandi, Teacher Aide

• Of course it’s the kids, I really love helping them. One little one, who was just 3 years old when he came to us, couldn’t walk. He would lie on his back and look up at the sky. Now we have him able to walk. I can remember the first time his mother saw that. It was a very happy moment. He can even climb the ladder on the Jungle Jim nowadays. I also like all the people I work with, the teachers, teacher aides and our Principal.