Interview with a special education teacher
Interview with a paraprofessional
Interviews with a special education teacher
and paraprofessional
What is your biggest pet peeve when working with paraprofessionals?
What roles do the paraprofessionals serve in your classroom?
Do you do a debriefing at the end of the day where you discuss what happened that day?
How involved are your paraprofessionals with collaborating with parents, administration, and related services?
Do you feel there is enough communication between you and your teacher?
Do you feel like there is enough communication between you and the administration, parents, and related services?
Do you feel like you have enough say in what goes on in the student's behavior plan?
Do you feel supported by your teacher and/or administration?
Student Support and Monitoring
Experiences
- Taking students to the hygiene room to learn proper hygiene and complete this independently.
- teaching students wash dishes
- helping students with their classroom work.
- help the students learn and build positive coping skills.
- Read to students
- Listen to student recitations
- Assist students with individual tasks (assignments, homework, tests...)
- Assist with small group activities (games, drills, discussions...)
- Supervise students (lunch, recess, playground, bus loading...)
- Attend to student physical needs (lunch, bathroom)
- Observe and record academic performance
- Observe and record students behaviors
Instructional Materials Preparation
- Research and prepare materials for specific lessons/units under teacher direction
- Construct and duplicate instructional materials
- Prepare bulletin boards, graphs, notes, student notebooks
- Reserve films and materials
- Assist in making field trip arrangements
Parent Response
The Paraprofessional in the classroom
The Paraprofessional in the self-contained classroom
Communication Support
- Participate in team meetings
- Prepare charts of student academic performance and/or behaviors
- Provide feedback regarding student progress towards goals
- Provide information about school/classroom routines and expectations
- Provide information about student behavior when under your supervision
- Listen for understanding about plans made for students with special needs
- Student Support and Monitoring
- Instructional Materials Preparation
- Communication Support
- Administrative Support
- Pros and Cons
Administrative Support
- Record attendance
- Check Papers
- Word processing, filling, and other routine paperwork
- Maintain student records
Paraprofessional in the self-contained classroom
The Paraprofessional
- A special education paraprofessional is on who is assigned to assist and support the teacher, but who does not assume the primary responsibility for the classroom.
- 1:1--What does that mean and what do they do?
- carry out goals and benchmarks that are in the student's IEP
- helps with documentation
Pros
Cons
- Assist with instruction
- Offer additional Perspective
- Additional support and encouragement
- Can provide small group instruction as needed
- Can offer teacher insight into student engagement during lessons
Any school employees whose positions are either instructional in nature or who deliver other direct services to students and/or their parents; and who work under the supervision of teachers or other professional staff who have the ultimate responsibility for the design, implementation and evaluation of education and related services programs and student progress.
(http://www.geocities.com/soozeej/SpEdPara.htm; Feb. 2, 2013)
- Teacher has to find ways to utilize aide in best ways possible
- Students may try to play one off the other (mom says no......go to dad type thing)
- If teacher and aide have very different personalities or philosophies it can be difficult
- Aide does not understand the material
- Assisting the students to much (enabling)
Qualifications
- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
- Paraprofessionals must show competency no later than four years after the law was enacted.
- High school diploma/GED
- Associate’s degree or have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution
- Must pass a test of basic skills
Qualifications and Legality
Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon
What are the qualifications to become a paraprofessional?
"No Child Left Behind is built upon a promise: all children deserve the opportunity to learn from a highly qualified teacher. The law states that all teachers and paraprofessionals must be highly qualified."
The Hierarchy
Paraprofessional and Extracurricular Activities
School Board
What are the legal aspects of being a paraprofessional?
Elementary School Principal
- Paraprofessionals are not required, nor expected, to be a part of district/faculty committees and are to use caution if they choose to.
- You are encourage to join some committees, but if you are asked to join and it proves to be too much with all your responsibilities you must advocate for yourself.
- Paraprofessionals should attend professional development activities to strengthen their knowledge of the classroom and new policies.
Qualifications (continued)
Collaboration with a Supportive Supervising Teacher
The Paraprofessional and the Substitute
Interactions with Administration,
Related Services, and Parents
- NCLB also mandates a transition to a "Educator License" system (applies to teachers also)
- Paraprofessionals must obtain a license and apply for the paraprofessional endorsement (after the before said requirements are fulfilled)
- State Paraprofessional Approval is different from NCLB approval
- State Paraprofessionals may not provide instructional support in programs funded by Title 1, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
- State Paraprofessionals must hold a high school diploma/GED, and earned 30 semester hours of college credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
- State Paraprofessionals cannot obtain a license unless they meet qualifications for NCLB
- (www.isbe.net)
Years of service: 21yrs
Education: B.S. English
What does your job entail on a day to day basis?
Assist teacher, conduct lessons, help students with homework and questions they may have, take anecdotal notes
When a problem arises with a student, can you approach administration directly? Or do you have to tell your supervising teacher first?
Yes, although it is my responsibility to inform the teacher beforehand. I have often gone to administration, Social Workers, or whoever else may be appropriate
What is your role with related services?
I often share information with Social Worker, Nurse, Speech Therapist, and have worked with each on classroom presentations/activities.
Do you collaborate on a regular basis with other teachers?
As often as possible- When appropriate will attend team meetings and will seek out teachers to help with push-in situations
When discussing an IEP, are you present and/or do you have a voice in the matter?
Supervising teacher often asks for my opinion on IEPs. We discuss student work, completion, behaviors, and ongoing progress
What has been your relationship with District Office?
In the past, it was quite cordial; however recently there has been a change in administration and a change in the dealings with paraprofessionals. Interestingly, when my experience is needed by D.O., I am treated much differently (i.e. better)
When there is a meeting with parents, are you allowed to express your concerns or observations?
I attend parent meetings on a regular basis. I have been encouraged to voice my concerns, express my opinions, and share my observations
What is your role in the classroom if a substitute is present?
Supported: To take over the running of the classroom
Uncooperative: Assist Sub with whatever plans there are for the day
Appropriate Role of Paraprofessional and Substitute:
- The paraprofessional is expected to aid the substitute as he/she would aid their supervising teacher. This helps keep a sense of normalcy for the students
- The supervising teacher may leave specific instructions for the paraprofessional to be carried out during times of their absence
Legality and Ethics (continued)
Legality and Ethics
- There are many laws that pertain to educational information and confidentiality.
- Paraprofessionals must be aware of what is considered "privileged information," and the legal factors pertaining to this information.
- Example: It is illegal to discuss student information with those not professionally involved with the student.
- This includes information about health, disabilities, families, IEPs, and other information.
- Paraprofessionals are also mandated reporters of child abuse. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services gives educators and other school personnel the legal responsibility to report any sign of child abuse.
Collaboration with a Uncooperative Supervising Teacher
Appropriate Relationships as Defined in Area Special Education Cooperative (ASEC): Special Education Paraprofessional Handbook
(ASEC, 2010)
- Examples of duties that are inappropriate for paraprofessionals:
- Be solely responsible for special education instruction or related service
- Be solely responsible for preparing lesson plans or initiating original concept instruction
- Be assigned to implement the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
- Be used as a substitute teacher
- Perform nursing procedures or administer medications without appropriate supervision from an approved health care professional
Years of service: 1 yr
Education: Elementary Education; Middle School Science Endorsement
What does your job entail on a day to day basis?
Assist the teachers throughout the school day with students' questions.
When a problem arises with a student, can you approach administration directly? Or do you have to tell your supervising teacher first?
I must go to my supervising teacher first, then if need be, the teacher goes to the administration
What is your role with related services?
N/A
Do you collaborate on a regular basis with other teachers?
No
When discussing an IEP, are you present and/or do you have a voice in the matter?
No, I am not present. I am informed of material on a need-to-know basis
What has been your relationship with District Office?
not much, just when I have paperwork to turn in
When in a Meeting with parents, are you allowed to express your concerns or observations?
I have yet to be invited to attend a meeting, although many have taken place
With Students:
- Engage only in instructional and other activites for which you are highly qualified
- Help to see if the best interest of the students are met
With Parents:
- Not to express your concerns or communicate progress to parents without supervisors permission
- refer concerns expressed by parents to your supervising teacher
With School/District:
- Perform behavior management strategies that are in correlation with standards of the district
- Know and follow school policies
- As a Paraprofessional, you are not required to partake in faculty meetings
- A paraprofessional may be required to attend an IEP meeting, being that they spend a good part of their day working closely with the students. If they are not invited, they are required to give the case manager all relevant information to be relayed to the other members of the team