Supporting Paraprofessionals in a Special Education Classroom 

Teaching Is the right term. I had one principal that treated the paraprofessional like Santa's little helpers and I had one principal that called the paraprofessional TEACHERS. Paraprofessional do the same thing teachers do they just don't get paid to do paperwork. I feel some educators don't see that paraprofessional are the backbone of the school.

Love this! I'm a resource room teacher in Idaho, and my paraprofessional is literally the glue that holds my class together. 💜💜💜

“...the kids are sucking the life outta you”. Oh my yes, sometimes. Thank you for recognizing us. #teamwork

I just started today as a special ed assistant and I really appreciate your videos! I was put into the classroom with no training and minimal input from the teacher, so I hope to communicate expectations and more with them moving forward.

Thank you for recognizing the Paras! I am a 1:1 Para in the elementary setting. It was difficult transitioning into the Special Education setting, but after a few months I can say that I've fallen in love with my job, despite the occasional hard days!

This is on point! As a 1:1 para, knowing the clear expectations of my teacher are key! My current teacher (who is about your age Braelin - old enough to be her mom) is super encouraging with her feedback and suggestions and always asks me what I’m needing in terms or more resources or asks if I have any suggestions- having a truly collaborative relationship makes all the difference.

As a para, I wish the teachers I have worked "with " were as considerate as you are. Mine didn't even give me a place to put my things.

Thanks for supporting the paraprofessionals and clarifying their roles. The teacher with whom I work is very much like you in that she respects our opinions and ideas. this makes it much easier to love what we do. .

I really like I'm a paraprofessional, and have seen the things your talking about. I would yes, telling us your expectations for sure is very helpful, also being able to trust us, or building us up so you can trust us to make good decisions in different situations. I think this tip is very important when it comes to being a team. Another tip is allow us to take a min. if we feeling overwhelmed, so we can continue to bring positivity in the class. I love being a paraprofessional, but when the environment is stressful it's hard to want to continue to come and be happy!! So I would to make sure your class's vibes are good, I know this isn't always something that can achieved but it would be helpful.

Hey there, I’m currently an ESE paraprofessional at a high school while I’m working on my bachelors. I love the job, but agree that the kids can burn you out sometimes. I feel that in our department we are spread thin, and it’s always changing and so many tasks and new assignments are winged on a daily basis. We have a really strong team and it’s mainly due to how much we communicate, our love for the kids and that we genuinely care about each other. I really like how well organized and communicative you are with your paras. It might be because you are in the same class with the same paras all day, but for me I find that I end up asking the ESE teachers what the lessons are, or how to handle certain students first. But once we are on the same page we usually become a good team. Unfortunately, most of the gen ed teachers aren’t very involved with us and we end up figuring out how to work with the kids and help them with their assignments (and usually learn it our selves) on our own.

I love this video. I am a current paraprofessional right now in Texas and what was not helpful to me was feeling intimidated and feeling like I should already know things even though I have the background of special Education but I was coming into a new district around new people and I didn’t know their expectations. And disorganization was not helpful. What was helpful is your tips of organization and being appreciate it and being shown in the classroom day by day of what you do

New subscriber and supporter. I've taught Special Education for 15 years and have seen the need for paraprofessionals grow more and more over the years. Thanks for sharing this video :)

I have been a parapro (mostly 1:1 medical in both a special educ. setting and general ed) for 18 years. The way you view and prepare your assistants is stellar! Although I have worked with some fantastic teachers, I have NEVER been as directed and prepared as you have been with your paras, not even close! I will be EI endorsed at the end of the year (2024) and absolutely plan to use your suggestions and setup. Thank you for sharing your process!!!!

I'm a teacher and I agree- great advice, especially the feedback. Id also add it's so helpful to find time to debrief at the end of the day or session with your TAs, especially if they've had a rough day. Reminds everyone we're on the same page and in it together. Helps a lot when there's challenging behaviour in the room

JUST CAME ACROSS YOUR VLOG. GREAT ADVICE MY DAUGHTER GOING TO START HER FIRST PARA THIS YEAR. SHE WAS IN HEAD START. GREAT ADVICE AS AND A TEACHER. HAVE A BLESSED SCHOOL YEAR.

I've been lucky so far. I just started as a Para Sub, and every school I've been at has been so welcoming and grateful that I'm there. They really see how needed we are. And I love all the kids. They're so sweet, even tho sometimes there's behavioral issues. All the teachers and other Paras have really helped when I have questions.

No shade. My mother has been a sped aid/paraprof. For 20 years. She has done miracles for students. She just has a gift. No one can explain it. There are people living a life that is so more “open”, amazing, that even people who shouldn’t have doubted them, thought they couldn’t. Love your videos. Becoming a para myself lol

Great video! I just recently started working as a paraprofessional in a self contained classroom and I love it! Still trying to figure out my place in the classroom though.

I am so happy I found your channel! Thank you for sharing! New subscriber here as a person called to special education. Starting out as a Paraprofessional.

Wow thank you for this video ♥️♥️♥️ You’re amazing!

Love your channel, you give such wonderful, practical advice.

Awesome tips! I will be starting student teaching in an EI classroom setting, I will remember these tips and put them into work as I student teach and after becoming a teacher.

This is my second year now and i found this so helpful! Thank you, I am in the same position!

Great video!! I had "paraprofessionals" in California, they're called the same in Michigan where I grew up. In Oregon where I teach now, they are called EAs (Educational Assistants). Totally agree, mine are the BEST too!!! Thanks for sharing!! I just started a youtube channel, and I'm hoping we can start creating more representation for special ed (especially behavior) on RU-vid!

My experience as a Paraprofessional has been great! After being a Head Preschool teacher for 22 years and becoming a Para for the first time, I have to say my Head teacher was amazing.

WOW! You are awesome!! I would love to work in your class room! I wish our teachers could view this video.

Thanks for this. Switching to Diverse Learner Teacher next year after 18 years.

great video as always as we are out teaching online your videos are added to my work log so i´m learning as well.even though i´m in a 3/4 year old self contained class i am still learning from this videos.

My Intermediate Unit here in PA requires their teachers to post a schedule in every classroom and that they also post a 4 square which lists every students behaviors, reinforcers, preferred tasks and triggers. As a Floating Para, I’m sent wherever they’re short-staffed which means I can go to one of 18 different classrooms within our autism support program which makes the 4 square and the schedule essential for someone like me who hasn’t had a chance to pair with the students. We also keep IT cards and reinforcers at every student’s desk so staff can pull that out if need be. I know that being a man also makes me rather unique which helps when I’m dropped into these situations because it makes it easier to work with the students since they’re already super curious about me.

Awesome video! It's SO hard to teach in front of grownups, especially if they're older than you. 😂 I've been so lucky with all of my paras!

I would’ve loved to work with a teacher like you! I am a paraeducator and the teacher I worked with was never clear about anything, it was so stressful!

I really hate when teachers treat paras as if they are beneath them as if they don't know what they're doing or as if they are not educated. Some of us may have the same amount of education and may have more experience than teacher.

Thanks for this video.

my great aunt Tracy is a paraprofessional aide in Texas.

Great video

I just stumbled on your video I'll soon be working as a sped teachers assistant and I'm quite nervous I just graduated

Do you have a link to the template you use for weekly lesson plans that you give to your paras?

We call ours Teacher Assistants. Thanks for posting?

Thank you

Hey I'm in maine. I start tommorow 😲

I start this month! I'm so nervous, I am also in mass. #paraprofessional I'd love some tips

ACRONYMS! I am trying to compile a list of acronym definitions but they did not provide me with that at the beginning.

Hi I have over 8 years as a paraprofessional, I just started a new job working in a SPED 2nd and 3rd grade class, i am one of three aid Paraprofessionals, two of them have never worked with special Ed students, the other has never worked in any school before, I have lots of experience as a 1:1 with autistic children, I am being singled out by those two aids and the teacher because I actually care how these students are treated, and because I have an opinion of how to deal with some behaviors in autistic students, the one aid that has been there about two weeks before me has the upper hand on how to deal with students, the other day we were in group centers her table is next to mine, they were working on something the children were coloring, the student a (boy)must have chosen a pink marker to color a boys garment, she told him pink was for girls and to chose a different color for what he was coloring, that’s just one of the many thing she has said. We have to bathroom these students , there are three female students, two have diapers one of them is very difficult to change diapers because she is resisting and wants to run around you need two people to deal with this student, the other just likes to scream in the bathroom, and the other also needs help changing diaper, when it was time to take them to the bathroom the aids were going to let me take all three of them to bathroom all by myself, when I said that I needed someone to come in with me, the aid that has the upper hand didn't like the fact that I spoke up, now I am being singled out, and treated different than the other two aids, there has been other things that I haven't agree with the upper hand aid, she went and told the teacher about it, how do I know? It is obvious from how the teacher and the other aid who has never worked with children before single me out. It is a very uncomfortable situation, I told the principal about how I feel uncomfortable and maybe they could move me to a different class. Nothing was done, and unfortunately, because the teacher is giving power to these two aids that know nothing about dealing with these students, nothing will change and I will be singled out as an opinionated difficult person, mind you I have never told them how to do their job, I just didn't agree with upper hand aid’s opinion. Any advice is welcome.

Most paras become teachers because they got tired of being treated like just the help, what’s funny is some of them become teachers & treat their paras exactly how they were mistreated or worse, it’s always some type of power tripping when people are the leaders & they forget they weren’t always in lead positions

Hi, great video. Do you have a sample of what you give your paras?

Are Paras the same as Instructional aides?

One on one aid

I’m an “Aide”

... u share lesson plans AND copies at the beginning of the week? u mean u don't throw ur paras into teaching lessons last minute, or ask em to make copies in the middle of their workflow? lmao i suddenly feel another layer of abused 😭

You might want to take off the incorrect apostrophe in the word “para’s” on your thumbnail. It gets no apostrophe, and we don’t want to make that mistake if we work in education.