Maria

Maria

I was born in Argentina where I worked as a teacher from the age of 19 until when, at 33, I came to live on Skye. Teaching was and still is my passion. I was a primary school teacher, but I also taught English as a second language, Spanish grammar and literature at a secondary school for adults and Music at a nursery. But here, in the UK, my qualifications
and my 15 years of experience were not valid, so I could not be a teacher. I became a tour guide (a course that Edinburgh University was offering on Skye) and a translator (I obtained my Diploma after sitting the exams for the Chartered Institute of Linguists) and I use my teaching skills and my language skills in both roles. Bridging cultures.

Moving to a new country is not just a physical move. It shakes your roots and your sense of identity. I had to adjust to the fact that I was not a teacher any more. Much that I love doing translations, I found that I missed school life. I missed children. I started running workshops at schools: paper making, music, percussion… until someone told me there was a placement as PSA and I applied.

Over the years I worked with lots of different children with different needs, but it was only 7 years ago that I discovered Makaton, when I started working with a little girl with Down Syndrome. She was quite good a signing because her nursery teacher had been showing her signs. This teacher involved all the kids at this nursery and the girl’s family were also learning. But I, without any training, was struggling. I picked up a few signs, but it was not enough. We were both frustrated and unhappy, and our relationship was not the best. We could not communicate! I needed to learn. The school didn’t have funds to finance my learning, so I decided that the need was so imperative, that I had to pay for the course myself. I did Makaton Level 1 online and my life changed forever. And I did level 2. And 3, and 4. I did a singing and signing course and I kept on learning and I taught her more signs. We now have a great relationship, we sing and sign together, we have a laugh, she is able to express her needs, and her feelings. We can communicate. The change was amazing. Not just our relationship, but her sense of being included and understood. She immediately reacted positively when she realised I was learning Makaton and was very patient with me as I was catching up.

Having experienced first-hand how frustrating and difficult it is to build relationships when there is no effective communication, I now want the whole community to learn to sign! The training to become a Makaton Tutor is not cheap and I could not afford to pay for the course myself. The Dunvegan Community Trust agreed to fund it and after a very intense and
demanding training I got my accreditation! I am now embarking on my new adventure: a quest to make the Isle of Skye a Makaton friendly island. All my life has been about teaching and learning, and about helping people communicate; and I am very grateful to Lisa for promoting my Makaton courses on Lifelonglearninghub.