Magali Duchemin is a Francophone Education Assistant at Jules Quesnel Elementary, where she works with teachers to support students with diverse and special needs and supervises students before and after school and during recess and lunch. It’s a fulfilling role.

“What I love most about my job is that I make a difference for the students,” Magali says. “I give them the strategies and capabilities to be able to function in the school. It can be frustrating – sometimes it’s two steps forward and three steps back. But there’s also a lot of rewards, like when parents are thanking you for the difference you’re making in their child’s life.”

Originally from France, Magali graduated from the Education Assistant Program at Langara in 2011 and was offered a job immediately by VSB. Her interest in the role came from experience. Her mother used to work with adults who had special needs and her daughter had a classmate with autism who had an education assistant.

“I was a ‘room parent’ and was allowed in the classrooms,” she says. “That how I met the Education Assistant. My daughter was also friends with the student and often had play dates. That’s how I learned about the position.”

A typical day for Magali involves doing prep work for the student and the teacher, supervising kids and making sure they’re safe, and supporting them socially and emotionally.

“One of my students needs help with French, so I translate for him but also take him to my office to teach him reading and writing in French,” Magali says.

Magali adds that she and the other Education Assistants support students in the classroom academically and emotionally.

“That's the advantage of having an extra adult in the room,” she says. “Often, I will sit at a large table in the classroom and work with three or four students on maths problems.”

In addition, Magali stays with her student during recesses to make sure he’s safe. At the end of the day, she helps make sure all the students have been picked up, and if some are still there, they are taken to the office for safekeeping until they are picked up.

Most years, Education Assistants are responsible for one student, usually not the same one as the previous year. However, this year, Magali is rotating with another Education Assistant, so she has one student in the morning and a different one in the afternoon.

“The student I was with last year started with me in kindergarten and I was with her until she left after Grade 4,” Magali says. “So, I spent five years with her. It’s unusual to be with one student for so long, but when you have a very strong relationship with a child, it can be a benefit to the student, depending on their needs. There’s a special bond and attachment. They’re like my child. And you have a special relationship with the parents, too.”

Explore French Immersion roles at the VSB:

French Immersion Teacher - On Call
French Immersion Teacher - Permanent

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