For paraprofessionals who juggle a workload that includes focusing on dozens of specific students throughout the teaching day, making sure that all of the students they work with are having their needs met can be quite a challenge.
Is there anything to be gained by creating a culture in our schools where paraprofessionals (teaching assistants, aides, paras, para-pros, classroom assistants) are viewed as 'less than'? Paraprofessionals have a vital role in our schools. Often, as one parent expressed, paraprofessionals are the least paid, least trained people in the school community, yet they are often charged with caring for and academically supporting the most challenging and most needy students.
I'm so excited that I'll be presenting my seminar, "Increasing the Success of Paraprofessionals and Classroom Teachers Working Together" next week in Albany, Rochester, and Ronkonkoma, NY as well as Providence, RI and Manchester, NH. I love teaching this session! I'll cover: *Practical strategies, t [...]
This week, we finish up our four part article, On the Same Page: Paraprofessionals and Teachers Working Together with a look at a few things that teachers and paraprofessionals might consider as "discussion starters" and questions when talking about Communication: How and when will professionals and [...]
In parts one and two of this article, we've discussed some things that paraprofessionals and teachers might consider when discussing lesson planning and instruction. This week , we offer some thoughts to consider when addressing Student Behavior: What are the behavioral expectations and rules for s [...]