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 paraprofessionals communicate about concerns, student updates, intervention progress, etc.?
- Who will be responsible for communicating with parents?
- Will communication with parents be verbal or written? What parameters should the paraprofessional work within? Are there times when communication should be deferred to the classroom teacher, special educator, or administrator?
- When should conversations with parents be documented? When should they not be documented? If documented, what form should that documentation take?
- Exactly who should the paraprofessional report to if any conversation with a parent occurs that might cause concerns, or where student issues need to be related?
If you are just joining the discussion, please take a look at the previous installments, which address lesson planning, instruction, and behavior management.