In Praise of ParaPros

Who couldn’t use an extra pair of hands? Paraprofessionals provide much-needed hands, eyes, and ears in our schools.  But teachers and parapros alike are often challenged by making the most of the unique skill sets parapros bring to the table.  And just as often, paraprofessional support staff doesn’t have the training they need and have asked for to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. 

Whether you call them parapros, instructional assistants, academic aides, or follow-alongs, these folks with hearts for kids have lots of questions.  What am I legally allowed to do?  Grade papers?  Give tests?  Provide direct instruction?  Am I allowed to offer my input for IEP writing?  What about handling discipline?  May I attend parent conferences?  What are my legal obligations?  And where does my responsibility end?  Parapros and the teachers who love them have lots of questions.

Beyond all of the above is the whole question of “how?”  Most paraprofessionals are licensed by their state Departments of Education, but have had virtually no training in instructional strategies, behavioral methodologies, reinforcement schedules, error correction strategies, or classroom management.  And rarely have they received any focused training in specific academic areas or methods.

It’s a lot to ask of one person.  Module 7: Maximizing Professional Potential gives both teachers and paraprofessionals support in defining roles, delivering service, and supporting the academic and behavioral needs of students with disabilities.  Take a look at how this module can make your parapros even more valuable to students.

It Takes a Village

 We talk about the idea of “community” often in education.  But what is that really?  The word “community” has its roots in Latin (communitas) and is defined as a social group of any size who share common goals and values.  Educators create a feeling of community within their classrooms by having their students develop the ground rules for the group.  Community fits in nicely with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  A sense of belonging to the group is closely tied to self-confidence, achievement, and mutual respect.   But “community” within Special Education doesn’t stop there.

Just like everyone else, students with disabilities are parts of several different communities. And because of these students’ very existence, more communities are created.  Where it is more important to have a sense of community than at an IEP meeting?  Where it is more important to share goals, values, mutual respect, and celebrate achievement than with the families of children with disabilities? 

As educators, we’re pretty good at creating a sense of belonging with our students.  But with our families, it’s much harder.  Finding common ground, sharing agreed-upon expectations, and demonstrating mutual respect is no simple thing.  Compound the variables with the diversity of cultures in our schools and we find that creating community gets harder.

Module 6: Developing Community provides an opportunity for education team members to develop and discuss creative ways to engage parents, value the contributions of all team members, and work toward consensus and mutual support.  It’s not easy; but it’s absolutely worth it.  Take a look at how PLC Consultants supports these efforts through its own online professional learning community.

The Inclusive Classroom

Most everybody agrees with the idea of inclusion, but not everyone agrees on what inclusion looks like or how it’s implemented.  Research bears this out: most teachers believe inclusion is a good thing for students with disabilities; AND most teachers feel they lack the skills, support, or materials to make inclusion work in their classroom.

Many of us point to what we cannot change: staffing levels, equipment availability, improved facilities (“if only we had more fill in the blank”).  So we’re forced to think creatively in order to get kids with disabilities actively involved in the learning.  That likely means we need to change things up.  Universal Design for Learning (UDL) constructs suggest that we can change three things: (1) how we turn students on to the learning (engagement and motivation); (2) how we present the information (instruction); and (3) how students show what they know (expression).

But that’s not always easy.  Some of us thrive in a classroom of “controlled chaos” where students are participating in a variety of activities simultaneously.  Others prefer what appears to be a more structured approach.  If we are to include children with disabilities in our classroom and we are expecting them to do more than just be a physical presence, we need to stretch our imaginations and our boundaries. And maybe we need to be willing to take risks, fail, and try again.

Developing a truly inclusive classroom is hard work.  But others have done it successfully and we can too.  There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when we have our collective expertise and creativity to rely on and to share.  PLC Consultants’ Module 5: The Inclusive Classroom provides the vehicle for ongoing, meaningful, and productive collaboration in a secure environment where sharing successes AND failures are an important part of the learning process.  Take a look.

Watch this Space

Those of us in education, and in Special Education specifically, are faced with several realities:

·        Schools are under intense pressure and scrutiny to provide appropriate services to students with disabilities.

·        Parents of children with disabilities are taking a more active and vocal role in their children’s education than ever before.

·        Technology has changed, and will continue to evolve, in the ways we educate students with disabilities.

·        In political, educational, and policy-making circles, inclusion is desired and expected, regardless of the cost, challenges, or resistance by others.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll introduce how creating an online learning community within a building, district, or across districts can address some of these realities.  We already know that online learning is often the preferred format for adult learners who want more control of their "leisure" time.  And the interpersonal, collaborative relationships forged through an online community can facilitate real, incremental change that positively supports all learners, regardless of ability of disability.

So join me in the next few weeks as we highlight what PLC Consultants does best: support educators in their desire to improve learner outcomes for all.

~ The Smiling Moon~

Too often we have seen a child's disability or diagnosis used as an excuse for his/her behavior. Mike Kersjes held his students with disabilities accountable for their behaviors as they competed against students identified as gifted and talented at NASA Space Camp in Hunstville, Alabama; probably for the first time in their lives.He details the challenges and triumphs in his book Smile as Big as the Moon, which has been made into a motion picture for ABC Family. It is amazing what high expectations can do for children  - their confidence, their achievements, their social relationships, and their goals.
 
I have taught many Teacher Preparation Courses where I used his book as a required text for participation in literature circles throughout the semester. The undergraduate students truly connected with the story , the teachers, the students with disabilities, the high school peers, and Mike. I was fortunate that Mike spent 3 days on campus for me - where he shared his inspirational, motivational story with the undergraduates, with students at a neighboring high school, and faculty members. He touched so many pre-service teachers those days; ones who truly want to make the same kind of positive difference in the lives of students with disabilities. He is a phenomenal speaker!!! Many students chose to attend his presentation more than once and wanted to meet with him one-on-one. They were beyond impressed with him, he is enthusiastic, charismatic, down-to-Earth, a 'real' person who walks the walk.

This story is truly multifaceted and can be the springboard for professional dialogues on education, collegial relationships, goal creation, plan development and implementation, academic curriculum development, thematic teaching, creating classroom community, diplomacy, teaching math and science to children with disabilities, family and community relationships, peer relationships and the general trials and tribulations of being a special education teacher.

One of my students created this video montage for her final project : 

I was pleasantly surprised,as this is one small example of how a college freshmen interpreted the text.

Smile as Big as the Moon is a great starting point for staff professional development; all teachers regardless of specialization teach children with disabilities - this is just one interactive, engaging way to start those sometimes difficult conversations about inclusive practices.

I do hope you have an opportunity to read the book, if not, at least see the film - you will be touched and inspired to do great things for children, and for yourself.

 

It’s a Great Day!

Shawn