With a rich background in teaching, and a teaching life spent working across Slough, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Abu Dhabi, John Coker, one of our Academic Support Workers brings a wealth of global experience to The Learning Support Centre. After returning to the UK during the pandemic and discovering a renewed desire to do something meaningful, John joined LSC in a role he describes as ‘one of the most fulfilling’ he’s ever had. From supporting students through exams to guiding them around campus, John’s flexibility, curiosity and deep commitment make a real difference to every learner he works with.
Honestly, I love it. There’s so much variety, I’m doing something worthwhile, I can take on as much or as little work as I want, it keeps my mind active, and I meet so many different types of students across different courses. I genuinely love it.
People often think the job is straightforward, but it really isn’t. You need to be incredibly flexible. Every student has different needs. For example, last week I supported students during exams, the week before I helped a PhD student with formatting her thesis, and next week I’m scheduled to take notes in a career development lecture.
The subjects vary widely too. I’ve supported English literature, civil engineering, psychology and I’m specialising in law at the moment. I’ve discovered interests I didn’t even know I had. It really is an opportunity to learn new things every day.
It happened right at the beginning actually, as part of my training at the University of Birmingham. We did an exercise where we guided each other around a room while wearing masks to simulate visual impairment. It really made me aware of the importance of what we do: helping people with challenges be equal to those who are more fortunate.
Every day reinforces that feeling. With teaching, progress happens slowly. But with this job, every single day you know you’ve made a difference. It’s immediate and it’s incredibly gratifying.
Go in with an open mind: you never know what you’ll be doing day-to-day. Also, learn the campus. You might have a two hour lecture in one building and your next one starts ten minutes later somewhere completely different. Being able to get there quickly helps you stay calm, and that helps the student accept you as a genuine, and receptive, supporter.
Be prepared to do absolutely anything. Carry bags, move equipment, type, write, read – whatever is needed.
I also send a little pen portrait to my students before we meet so they can get a sense of who I am. I want them to feel comfortable and confident with me.
And organisation matters. I take my notes straight into the computer, then I tidy them up afterwards, correcting spellings, adding links, checking accuracy, and so on. It builds trust when students see that you’re genuinely engaged.
Definitely Commitment. You couldn’t do this job properly without being committed. It wouldn’t be fair on the student.
LSC is committed too, through training, through flexibility and through regular communication. Since most of us work remotely and in different areas, we rarely all meet in person but there are regular get togethers, so it still feels like a team.
They’re genuinely nice people to work with. It’s a bit like teaching: once you’re in the classroom, you’re on your own, and I like being left to my own resources. But I also know that LSC and I share the same objective: supporting the student.
We work hand in glove and it fills a need that definitely wasn’t there when I was studying at school and university. I enjoy working for LSC tremendously. It truly is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, and I’m very pleased to be part of the team.
Words by Sumayyah Muhammad
👥 Want to meet more of the People of LSC?
Read more NMH support staff stories →