Working with Paraeducators

 How lucky are you, getting to work with paraeducators?!

In the world of special education, we can't do it alone. If you're lucky, you have one or more paraeducators who support you in teaching students. This may look like behavioral support, leading small groups, data collection, or pushing in to general education classrooms.

BUT that's not to say that sometimes working with other adults can't be challenging. I always said I've learned a lot of things in my formal education, but "they" never taught me how to tell people my age or older what to do!

Also, having paraeducator support is often something only special education teachers have - because our jobs are so complex! - so this may be another professional expectation that your general education friends don't quite understand. (All of this to say: I know some districts still have paraeducator support in elementary schools, but my current district does not. If your gen ed teachers have para support, lucky them!!)

Here are some things I've learned about working with paraeducators:

1. Communication is key

In my current job, I am fortunate to have an hour with my para team weekly. This is a luxury, I know! I also rely heavily on email and sharing Google docs/sheets/folders for communication. 

In previous jobs when I worked with teams in a self-contained setting, I've had different experiences.  With one, paras stayed after work hours daily for about 10-15 minutes to debrief the day. (This was on their own time, and it was their idea. It was a public charter school, for what it's worth.) With another, we tried a variety of communication strategies, including a notebook left on the board ledge where paras left questions/comments/concerns so that the teacher knew what to address quickly before or after school when the paras were getting ready or cleaning up. Be cautious with this, though, especially as students read or may pick up on the intent with the notebook. Someone suggested writing notes on the board, but for the same reason, I would advise against that.

One DEFINITE NO is talking across students during the school day. This is tempting, especially when collaboration time is limited, but do not do this. There are confidentiality concerns, but also, it is never best practice to talk about kids around kids. (This is true even in classrooms where students are nonverbal or have intellectual disabilities. Always treat students with dignity and respect.)

Ultimately, there isn't one best way to communicate/collaborate, but it is a MUST!

2. Assume positive intent

In my own classroom, if someone doesn't follow a routine or procedure, I assume I did a bad job communicating expectations. Paraeducators often are working really hard for not much pay. We're all here for the same reason: to help kids. It is not likely they intentionally went rogue. Without snark or condescension, restate the expectation. Mine usually goes something like, "Ah, I did a terrible job explaining what I wanted you to do. Will you ____?" and then restate in different/more clear words what you'd like them to do.

I already said, but why else would someone be a paraeducator if they weren't genuinely interested in helping kids? On any given day, we're all doing the best we can. Show grace and assume the best.

3. Kids pick up on adult vibes

This is so important! You don't have to be best friends with everyone on your team, but trust that kids pick up on your vibes! And like it or not, as team leader, the vibe of your team is a direct reflection of you. In my classroom, all students are treated with respect (by me and by each other). If I have that rule for students, why wouldn't I also have that rule for adults? 

4. Show gratitude

Our jobs are so hard! Rewarding, but hard. A little thank you goes a long way. You can write notes, write emails, give small tokens of appreciation, send texts... you get the idea. No matter someone's level of experience, you can always find something that they're doing well and send a note of gratitude. Maybe early in the school year, make it protocol to ask members of your team how they prefer to receive praise. Some people get embarrassed with public recognition, but others love it. Consider making the first item on team meeting agendas to share great things people are doing. (Bonus if these are quiet things that may have otherwise gone unnoticed!)

5. Be flexible!

If you are a special educator, this probably goes without saying! Every day is an adventure. This goes for working with adults too. Be flexible! Your way isn't the only way, and all team members bring valuable input and experience to the team. Also, the plan for the day may go awry (is likely to go awry?!). We laugh, feel annoyed about the time it took to make the original plan, talk about "the best laid plans," and go with the flow.

And to repeat #3, kids pick up on your vibes! If I just did a social emotional lesson on coping strategies when dealing with frustration, kids will notice if their adults don't also choose and engage in a coping strategy. 👀

6. Clear expectations are so important

No one can read your mind. In the way our best teaching practices for students include multi-modal teaching and acknowledging students' learning styles, we have to do this for adults too! In my career, I have come across some tools which address professional learning and communication styles, and it can be very helpful to do these assessments before the school year starts. Some of the best paraeducator support resources I've seen come from The Para Center out of the University of Colorado Denver, including these K-12 Paraprofessional Supervision Resources. They open the dialogue of how team members prefer to receive feedback (including you, as the teacher!). This is one effective way to disseminate clear expectations among the team.

Because I'm a shameless promoter, here's the link to the Classroom Guidelines and Procedures Binder for Paraeducators that I created on Teachers Pay Teachers. It is editable, so you can adapt for your own classroom, but is at least a good starting point with information that my paraeducators have found helpful.