In a nutshell, what do you do?
I support the social and emotional wellbeing of adolescent girls, in a boarding school.
Why did you decide to become a Boarding School House Supervisor?
Because it’s a balance between counselling and teaching (my background). I love building relationships and working with youth.
What path did you take into it?
I studied Psychology, then counselling (postgraduate), then I did a Postgraduate Diploma in Education to teach. From there, I started my own business, creatively counselling and tutoring people – helping them to find their own ‘super powers’, their unique, individual strengths and gifts. Then I saw this job advertised, and went from there…
What, in your opinion, is the best bit of being a Boarding School House Supervisor?
The freedom to make my own decisions, and spending time with the girls.
Every job has its downsides. What do you think are the worst bits?
Shiftwork, being on a constantly rotating roster, and the pay.
Is it what you expected when you first started out – and what’s different?
No, I thought the students would be more difficult!
What do the public least understand – or mistake – about what you do?
They think that I’m just a babysitter, not really contributing.
What kind of people tend to do well?
You need to be nurturing and confident, as well as having integrity – and being fun.
Finally, any advice you’d offer to people looking to get into this line of work?
There are quite a few different pathways into this kind of work. You can come via coaching and counselling, and having a teaching background of some kind can definitely help – but you need to be passionate about the relationship side of teaching, more than the academic side. Some people have even moved into this area from an art background…
As a career, it’s very rewarding; the more you put in, the more you will get out of the role.
