Training Paraprofessionals

A guide to training paraprofessionals in the field of special educationMary Cece Young

ISU

“The reauthorization of IDEA 2004 requires that states ensure than all personnel needed to provide special education services are adequately prepared and trained and, that paraprofessionals be appropriately supervised” (Breton, 2010).

Mandates that paraprofessionals become highly qualified. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnE79CvT3zE “IDEA regulations offer minimal guidance and direction as

to what constitutes appropriate training and supervision to local schools” (Breton, 2010).

Training has to come from teachers and schools. Paraprofessionals are affecting student outcomes as they

are working with students on a daily basis.

Why is there a need to train paraprofessionals? Research based

Objective for day 1 – I will know my roles and responsibilities as a paraprofessional

Activity – Brainstorm what ideas paraprofessionals have about their job. What they feel they should and should not do. Get into pairs and discuss their ideas with one another for 5 minutes, then report to the class.

Compare their list with the actual list of assigned duties. Paraprofessionals should be responsible for….. 1.supplementing instruction, not providing primary instruction 2. implementing behavior plans 3. receiving ongoing monitoring and feedback from a certified teacher

or administrator. 4. assisting the teacher in the classroom, hallways, or any other area

of the building that requires student supervision.

Goals for paraprofessionals – Objective 1 for day 1

According to Causton-Theodoris, Giangreco, Doyle and Vadasy (2007), teachers should provide paraprofessionals with….

1. Space for your belongings2. A tour of the building3. Daily lesson plans with goals and objectives for the day.4. Clarify roles and responsibilities.5. Develop shared expectations and mechanisms for

communication.6. Provide access to IEPs and teach paraprofessionals how to

read and interpret documents. 7. Review school and classroom policies, procedures and rules

each year.8. Teach model, support, and provide feedback.

Teachers Should Provide You With….

Some non-instructional roles for paraprofessionals are… Administrative tasks Helping students/groups that are working independently Researching materials in the library Creating a bulletin board displaying student writing, etc.. Reading student journal entries Editing student work Searching online for new instructional computer games Monitoring and supporting computer Preparing modifications or adaptations that are planned by

the teacher Recording student data for behavior or academic success.

Teachers may ask you for the following help in….(Causton, et al, 2007)

Know myself and my role as a paraprofessional

Understand Special Education and Students with learning/behavioral needs

Understand parents Understand disabilities Know how to communicate effectively Understand my colleagues and their roles

(other paraprofessionals, teachers, support staff, and administrators).

As a paraprofessional, I should:

Use the 7 habits to get to know yourself better so you can be a better paraprofessional and have/keep a positive mindset with the students…..

1. be proactive 2. begin with the end in mind 3. put first things first 4. think win/win 5. seek first to understand; and then to be understood 6. synergize 7. sharpen the saw Get into groups of 3 people and write down an

example of each of these areas as a team.

Activity 2 Steven Covey - Staying Positive and Productive

To believe that students want to do well. To remember that the behavior is not about us. To remember that the students are learning something

new and that it is hard for them to master the skills. To remember that learning is a process and everyone

moves at their own rate. To always stay calm and look at situations as learning

experiences. To make students feel welcome and wanted and able

to make mistakes. Without mistakes out world would be very boring.

Make each moment count.

Adopting a positive mindset

Choose a learning outcome or goal. Remember to task analyze. Eagerly put the steps in sequential order. Always make it simple and easy to

remember. Try to choose action words that match your

title by using synonyms. Extend learning by making a cue card for

students to use independently.

Activity 3 – Create a learning strategy that students can use in class. (Keller et al., 2007)

One to one instruction Small group instruction Large group instruction Data collection/observation Preparation/planning Reproducing/typing instructional materials Playground/hall/lunch/bus/supervision Attending meetings Behavior management Storytelling or reading aloud or giving tests orally

Roles of Paraprofessionals in Classroom Settings (Carnahan et al, 2007)

“In our work, we have found that the effective adult plans begin with a collaborative or shared philosophy and effective adult-to adult communication” (Carnahan, Williamson, Clarke, Sorensen, 2009).

Shared Philosophy You will be asked to help promote a philosophy in the classroom. Some of the skills required by you to promote this shared philosophy are… 1. arriving on time and preparing all materials for the school day. 2. refraining from adult conversation in front of students during the school day. 3. allowing or teaching students to walk through the building independently. 4. using minimal and direct language approach. 5. paying close attention to student learning and expanding our language as

students demonstrate readiness. Being consistent in our management of academics and behavior. We will be

firm and direct while providing meaningful praise. Representing our program in a positive manner that is reflective of our

thoughts and actions and words as a team.

Collaboration with the special education teacher

Activity – Write down 3 ways you can develop a shared teaching/learning philosophy with your teacher.

Write down 3 of your roles as a paraprofessional and how you plan on performing those roles inside the school day.

Write down 1 topic you would like to learn more about in the next session.

End of Day 1-Assessment

Four activities with the following objectives; 1. enhancing perspectives 2. establishing the importance of peer

interaction 3. clarifying the paraprofessional’s role in

facilitating interactions 4. increasing the paraprofessionals’

knowledge base of strategies for facilitating interactions.

Day 2 – Working with Students – Knowing how to intervene for best results

Activity – reflect on your own social relationships. Draw circles and write the names of those closest to you in the innermost circle. Working outward, through the circles, write the names of good friends, names of people they enjoyed doing things with, and last, the names of people who were paid to interact with them. Do this again with the target student with whom you should work. Then, compare the two similar diagrams. Results – virtually empty in the second and third tiers of the circles, but full in the fourth circles or the outermost circle.

Enhancing Perspectives

Activity – Ask the paraprofessional – “Why are social interactions and relationships important?” (Example answers – Friendships meet our human need to belong and feel cared about).

Other responses are meant to provide information about the importance of social interactions and the relationships for students.

Research indicates students learn better when they have positive peer role models in a general education class with which to socialize and model appropriate behavior.

Establishing the Importance of Peer Interaction

Activity – Think of ways you could facilitate interactions between target students and their peers. Pick some current trends topics or general topics to start discussing, then wean from the topic once the students are talking amongst themselves.

Reflection/Assessment – Did the students freely engage in the conversation? Were the students comfortable talking to one another without an adult present? These questions help understand how the social interaction should go.

Clarifying the Paraprofessionals’ Role in Facilitating Interactions

Identification Free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) Due Process Parent/guardian surrogate consultation Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Individualized Education Program (IEP) Nondiscriminatory evaluation Confidentiality

Special Education Law – IDEA 2004

We expect that the adults working with our children to protect their right to privacy.

Students and parents have a right to protect their privacy.

Discussion about students should only be about topics that affect their learning.

We should be nonjudgmental when talking about students and their needs.

Confidentiality-Paraprofessionals will understand and implement the use of confidentiality

OBJECTIVE – Paraprofessionals will be able to identify one characteristic about the various learning disabilities.

Learning Disabilities – Definitions Psychological processing disorders Failure to response to scientific, research based

interventions Discrepancy Model vs. RTI Students need interventions to succeed.

Paraprofessionals need to know about specific learning disabilities

Internalizing and Externalizing behaviors Problem affects all areas of learning Behaviors are extreme Behaviors need constant remediation and

correction through a behavior plan Behaviors affect learning in a regular

classroom without support

Social Emotional Disturbance

Students have a gap in their cognitive ability in one or more academic content areas as compared to their intelligence quotient score.

Students need modifications to the general curriculum to do well in school.

They need assistance to complete regular academic work and/or take classes that are accompanied with modifications.

Most frequently, they need accommodations of extended time when taking tests, use of calculator, and alternative setting.

Some students use Kurzweil or assistive technology do perform academic work.

Learning Disabilities

Low cognitive skills Low adaptive skills Specific learning problems – memory,

language development, self-regulation, social development and motivation

Need a team approach in order to instruct them

Mental Retardation

Respond to less verbal and more pictoral Impaired social responsiveness and

communication Exhibit ritualistic behavior Great range of severity of symptoms Develop a reliance on certain people Lack in learning from others behavior –

have to be taught specific social behaviors

Autism

Many impairments together (mental retardation and orthopedic impairment)

The combination causes severe educational needs they can’t be accommodated in special education for one of the impairments.

Does not include deaf-blindness. Can be self contained or in regular classes

depending on their cognitive ability

Multiple Disabilities

Write one characteristic about a student with emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, and autism.

Write down 2 ways you can support these students in a classroom.

Share with your neighbor and report to the class.

Assessment-End of Day 2

Objective 3 – Paraprofessional will be able to communicate with the parent and get positive results through proactive communication.

Activity – Write down 3 things you like to hear about yourself or your children. Who tells you those things? Share with a friend and report back to the group. Write down how you feel when others say those things.

Discuss ways that you can build positive relationships with parents.

Day 3 – Communicating with Parents

Changing family structure-More than 50% of families are divorced.

A. In 1940 less than 9% of women worked outside the home

B. 1997 76% of women with school-age children were working

Less family time at night More Technology in the Home Less playtime outside

Changing Families – Single parent homes

More pressure on schools to teach social skills. Parents feel an us vs. them mentality Overly involved parents Take your lead from the teacher Make positive phone calls Communicate praise that is authentic,

immediate, and specific. Be proactive – when in question, always stay

positive and check with the teacher or administrator

Parents Expect Schools to Parent

Get into groups of 2. There are two people; the parent and the paraprofessional. The paraprofessional has to tell the parent something bad about the child’s behavior. The paraprofessional has to find a way to use positive, proactive language to express how the child’s behavior disrupted the class. Practice telling a parent this scenario using positive words.

Activity

Listening-Paraphrasing – responding to basic messages - clarifying

Leading Skills-Indirect and direct leading. Reflecting Skills-Responding to emotions

expressed. Reflecting content. Summarizing Skills-Pulling themes together. Informing Skills-Advising – giving

suggestions and opinions based on experience.

Communicating (Correa, Jones, Thomas, and Morsink, 2005)

Paraprofessionals need to communicate with administrators, teachers, parents, students and other colleagues daily to do what’s best for students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAro4ghMMsc Focus on building partnerships. Meet daily with your supervising teacher to discuss

the lesson plan and classroom activities Discuss problems as they occur – don’t store them up

for a later time and then explode. Just talk even if it is about the small stuff. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification. There

is no such thing as a dumb question.

Communicating to do a better job

Everyone has an opinion, no one is right or wrong.

Separate the person from the problem Collaborate on several options before

making decisions Focus on the positive sides of situations Give everyone a feeling that they have

been heard.

Creating Win-Win Solutions

Get into pairs and discuss a time when either you were complimented or your children were complimented. How did you feel? Was the praise specific and immediate? Why do you still remember it today?

Come up with three ways you can communicate something positive with parents of the students you currently supervise in class. Be specific, authentic, and positive.

Assessment-End of Day 3

Paraprofessionals are the glue that holds it all together in a class.

You are a vital part of the classroom.

Remember how valued you are at all times.

Thank you for all that you do!

Final Thoughts

Education is a matter of building bridges.

Ralph Ellison