Collaborating with Para
Educators in the General
Education Classroom
Presented by:
Karen Aron, M.A.
TVI, Chandler USD
Session Focus
• Para educators assigned to K-12 students
with VI
• Strategies for TVI to promote collaboration
• Strategies for Para’s in classroom
• Considerations and Resources
Para Educator Definition
• Support staff who works under supervision of
a teacher or other professionals for the
purpose of instructional support.
• IA, TA, EA, etc.
• Instructional support in core and expanded
core curriculum (ECC).
• Placement: itinerant, across grade levels, 1:1,
resource room.
Roles & Responsibilities
• Varying factors:
• Student’s existing support
• Student’s level of need
• Classroom placement
• TVI trains and supervises para
• TVI should provide clear definition of support
needs.
• WRITE IT OUT and review each quarter
Promoting
collaboration
Strategies for the TVI
• Teacher prep programs prepare professionals to
supervise and work with students, not
necessarily other teachers, professionals,
para’s, etc.
• Proper training and supervision of para’s can
help facilitate an optimal educational team.
• Ideal situations (my dream)
• Realistic (changes mid-year, no applicants,
budget cuts, etc.)
Niche
• Find out para’s special talent or interests
• artistic (tactile graphics)
• physical (P.E. or dance class)
• musical (music recording)
• technical (AT devices)
• bilingual
• specific curriculum interests
• Does para want to continue education?
• braille training
Placement
• Para should be assigned to classes that
student needs minimum to moderate
assistance
• Ex: student has significant struggle in math,
the TVI should provide assistance in that
class.
• Para may only want to work with specific
grade levels
Placement Conflicts
• Female para placed with 8th grade male
student who was taking P.E.
• Para had cultural conflicts with specific
curriculum or teacher (i.e. dissecting)
• Human development in all girls class and
male para
• Student’s schedule (i.e. taking extra classes)
Consult
• TVI needs to schedule in consult time with
para.
• Develop a weekly communication system
• E-mail, texting, notebook, phone calls, etc.
• If district will allow, write it into IEP
• Support Services 30 mins/wk IA/ Teacher
consult
Para set-up
• Advocate to have para start work before 1st day of
school to meet teachers, help set-up books, work on
schedules, etc.
• Based on student’s needs/ vision, help set-up place
for para in each assigned classroom.
• Front for easier access to board
• Back to minimize class disruption
• Discuss professional attire, behaviors in class,
computer use, district/ agencies policies.
• What should para do to report absence or if student
is absent?
MODELING
• Observe student in each of their classes and
model at least 1x/ quarter.
• Mix it up: Give alternative assignment
• Involve para in IEP development, meeting,
reviewing goals, and progress reports. They
see more than TVIs on a daily basis.
• Involve para’s in fieldtrips, O&M sessions,
vision classes, etc.
Public Relations (PR)
Stand up for para’s when they cannot
• Discussions with parents
• Several districts highly discourage para’s having
direct communication with parents.
• Grade-level meetings
• How can para support student in classroom
during specific activities?
• Consults with classroom teachers
• “The para is just sitting back!”
• End of the year dept meetings
SUPERVISE
• Set-up scheduled classroom visits
• Provide feedback
• Select an improvement goal (evaluation)
• Even seasoned paras need supervision
Collaboration for the
Para Educator
More than just
helping the student
Set-up
Understand the student’s visual impairment
Ask to participate in a visual simulation.
Ask for updates on any vision changes.
Report any visual changes that you may observe to
the TVI.
• Learn about student positioning, lighting, equipment,
safety concerns, work position, writing, reading, ECC,
etc.
• Get copy of IEP goals and accommodations/
modifications.
• It’s a learning process for all of us.
•
•
•
•
Learned Helplessness
From www.dictionary.com
a mental condition in which one becomes
unable to help oneself due to previous failed
attempts at controlling one's life; also, a
condition in which a person establishes and
maintains contact with another by adopting a
helpless, powerless stance
Hierarchy of Cueing and
Prompting
• Google Hierarchy of Cueing and Prompting or
review website:
•
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/specialed/taksalt/rubric/ClarificationCueingPrompting.pdf
• From most invasive (physical assistance) to
least invasive (verbal directions)
• Para’s should work with TVI to determine
current level of cueing or prompting and how
to work towards less invasive techniques.
Documenting
Para’s should document
daily on student’s
vision, classroom
behavior, needs, etc.
TVI can help develop a
checklist or efficient
documentation system.
I A’s Class work
Documentation
Date
Class
Assignment
I nclass/
HW
Brailled?
Turned- in Comment
( on- time &
Date)
Develop Rubrics
Grading Rubric
Q2
_1__ On time homework
_1__ On-task
_1__ Completed in-class work
_1__ Displayed independent/ appropriate behavior
_1__ Responsible used AT
Total 5 points
_*__ Travel between classes independently
Week of:
2nd
Math
3rd
WH/ Geo
4th
Inv. Sci.
5th
Eng 9
6th
Strategies
2nd
Math
3rd
WH/ Geo
4th
Inv. Sci.
5th
Eng 9
6th
Strategies
2nd
Math
3rd
WH/ Geo
4th
Inv. Sci.
5th
Eng 9
6th
Strategies
2nd
Math
3rd
WH/ Geo
4th
Inv. Sci.
5th
Eng 9
6th
Strategies
2nd
Math
3rd
WH/ Geo
4th
Inv. Sci.
5th
Eng 9
6th
Strategies
M
T
W/ Th
Fr
Total:
Week of:
M
T
W/Th
Fr
Total:
Week of:
M
T
W/ Th
Fr
Total:
Week of:
M
T
W/ Th
Fr
Total:
Week of:
M
T
W/ Th
Fr
Total:
ABC’s of behavior
Antecedent-what was happening before behavior occurred?
(be as detailed as possible)
Behavior- describe behavior.
Consequence- who responded to behavior and what was
consequence.
Behavior Rubric
0- Negative Attitude, cried, no work, frustrated to the
MAX
1- Negative Attitude but you tried to get some work
done.
2- Complained A LOT, not using time efficiently
3- Complained just a little, gets some work done but not
very articulate.
4- Pretty good attitude, gets a lot of work done but
could do better, little frustrated but able to work it
out.
5- Positive attitude, uses time efficiently, articulate.
Rubric should be graded at least 1 time per day. More
often if needed.
P.R.
•
•
•
Educating staff/ students when TVI is not
available.
Advocating for department and students.
Share with teachers how you are stepping
back or implementing new techniques.
• Ask for input from teachers & TVI
• Stay consistent with practice or attitude when TVI
or supervisor leaves & across classrooms and activities.
• Constructive Criticism
• Perception of paras in the classroom can vary depending
on teacher and set-up. (i.e. co-teacher, guest, etc).
• We are all working ourselves out of a job
• Consult with TVI if there’s an activity making you feel
uncomfortable.
19 Ways of
Stepping Back
Adapted from Classroom Collaborations
by Laurel J. Hudson, Ph.D.
(Perkins School for the Blind)
AFB poster
• Keep this list posted in
your classroom
• Give all para’s a copy
• Review periodically
• TVI and Para’s should
work through these steps.
Considerations
• Difference between rural vs. urban areas
• District employees vs. outside agency
• Feeling part of the group (eating lunch with
co-workers)
• Working with assistive technology devices.
• Create an assistance reduction plan
• Conflict resolution
HELPING TRIO
CONSULTATION LOG
Student:
Setting:
Date:
Team Members:
Consultation Focus:
Desired Outcome:
Analysis:
Action Plan:
Prior Interventions:
Student’s Strengths:
Monitoring/ Follow-up date:
Resources
• When You Have a Visually Impaired Student in Your
Classroom: A Guide for Paraeducators By Joanne
Russotti and Rona Shaw sold by AFB
• Project PARA (Nebraska)
• The Paraeducator Self Study Program provides
schools with Web-based training resources for
paraeducators.
• The Supervisors of Paraeducators Self Study is
designed to be used by schools or teacher-training
institutions to provide training for teachers who
supervise paraeducators.
• http://para.unl.edu/ec
“It takes two practitioners to do
Active Learning—
one to hold the other back!”
From Active Learning Newsletter
© LilliWorks, 2001
Contact Information
Karen Aron
itinerantvi@yahoo.com
Cell: 480-221-7666