Paraeducator Handbook

Paraeducator Handbook

Tabe of Contents Washington State Learning Goas...3 What Is a Paraeducator?...4 Washington State Core Competencies for Paraeducators...5 No Chid Left Behind Paraeducator Requirements...6 Roes and Responsibiities...7 Questions to Ask the First Week on the Job...8 Suggested Code of Ethics for Paraeducators...9 Confidentiaity and Ethics... 10 Poicies and Procedures... 10 Chid Deveopment... 11 Behavior Management... 17 Teaming with the Teacher to Assist with Instruction... 19 Effective Instructiona Strategies... 20 Working with ELL Students... 22 Diversity Within Our Schoos... 23 What is Specia Education... 25 Specia Heath Care Guideines... 26 Specia Heath Care Needs... 27 Preparing for a Substitute... 28 Substitute Worksheet... 29 Twenty Ways to Be the Best You Can Be... 30 Abbreviations/Acronyms... 31 Bibiography/Resources... 32 Washington State Educationa Service Districts... Back cover 1

Introduction Paraeducators are faced with a rewarding yet chaenging job. To work successfuy with students, paraeducators need to keep their skis updated and stay informed about current educationa issues. For these reasons, Puget Sound ESD s Paraeducator Program has deveoped this paraeducator handbook. This too was designed to provide you with a consoidated source of hepfu information and encourage you to seek training in areas you d ike to expore further. The Puget Sound ESD paraeducator handbook is meant to enhance your district s handbook, not repace it. The handbook is a dynamic document you can use as you continue to deveop in your roe as a paraeducator. It is a reference too and a pace to keep district and instructiona information. Your feedback is wecome. Let us know how you have found the handbook to be usefu and incude suggestions for ways it can be improved. The efforts of many peope went into the deveopment of the Paraeducator Handbook. Specia recognition goes to Bev Mathews, a paraeducator from the Federa Way Schoo District. Without her ideas and hard work, this handbook woud not have been competed. Jane Robb-Linse, Director of Teaching & Learning, Paraeducator Programs Puget Sound Educationa Service District The deveopment of the Paraeducator Handbook was made possibe with funding from the Washington State Paraprofessiona Training Program. 2

Washington State Learning Goas These four earning goas provided the foundation for deveopment of the Essentia Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs): 1. Read with comprehension, write with ski, and communicate effectivey and responsiby in a variety of ways and settings. 2. Know and appy the core concepts and principes of mathematics; socia, physica, and ife sciences; civics and history; geography; arts; and heath and fitness. 3. Think anayticay, ogicay, and creativey, and integrate experience and knowedge to form reasoned judgments and sove probems. 4. Understand the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directy affect future career and educationa opportunities. Essentia Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) Washington state s Essentia Academic Learning Requirements provide an overview of what students shoud know and be abe to do in grades K-10. Grade Leve Expectations (GLEs) The GLEs provide detai about what students shoud know and be abe to do by grade eve. GLEs are aigned from kindergarten through grade 10 so that parents, students and educators can see how skis and knowedge buid from year to year. GLEs are being deveoped for each content area. Onine Grade Leve Resources: www.k12.wa.us/ears This website is designed to support instruction of the EALRs/GLEs by providing materias and resources aigned to the Grade Leve Expectations (GLEs). 3

What is a Paraeducator? A paraeducator is a schoo empoyee who works under the supervision of a certificated/icensed staff member to support and assist in providing instructiona and other services to chidren and youth and their famiies. The certificated/icensed staff member remains responsibe for the overa conduct and management of the cassroom or program incuding the design, impementation, and evauation of the instructiona programs and student progress. (Adapted from A.L. Pickett, Director for the Nationa Resource Center for Paraprofessionas, City University of New York, 1993.) Para means aongside. The genera pubic has an understanding of this term because of paraegas and paramedics. Paraeducator means working aongside an educator. Supervision refers to directing the work of a paraeducator; it does not refer to hiring, firing or evauating the paraeducator athough certificated or icensed staff coud have input. Job Tites Over the years, more that 15 different job tites have been used to describe a paraeducator. Exampes of some tites are: Aide Cassroom Assistant Educationa Assistant (EA) Educationa Paraprofessiona Instructiona Aide (IA) Instructiona Assistant (IA) LAP Assistant Paraeducator Paraprofessiona Specia Education Assistant Teacher Aide (TA) Teacher Assistant (TA) Paraeducator or paraprofessiona is currenty the most generay accepted and recognized job tite. 4

Washington State Core Competencies for Paraeducators WAC 392-172-200 Staff Quaifications for Specia Education Funding Cassified staff sha present evidence of skis and knowedge necessary to meet the needs of students with disabiities, and sha be supervised consistent with WAC 392-172-045 (4) (a) (iii). Districts sha have procedures that ensure that cassified staff receive training to meet state recommended core competencies pursuant to RCW 28A.415.310. The competencies are guideines for the knowedge and skis that paraeducators shoud demonstrate in order to work with students with disabiities. This expanded roe has dramaticay increased the number of paraeducators in the schoo system in the past decade. Paraeducators are integra to the deivery of instructiona and other services to students with disabiities. As a resut, there is a need to deveop systems that support paraeducators to guarantee quaity instruction and services for chidren with disabiities. Training of paraeducators wi contribute towards improved student earning. NOTE: Competency standards are arranged in the foowing order: a) Awareness (knowing or reaization; a simpe recognition) b) Knowedge (acknowedgment; famiiarity; acquaintance with facts; being informed) c) Understanding (having a cear perception of the meaning) d) Abiity (abe to appy or demonstrate) To work in education and reated services programs for chidren and youth with disabiities, paraeducators wi demonstrate: 1. Understanding the vaue of providing instructiona and other direct services to a chidren and youth with disabiities. 2. Understanding the roes and responsibiities of certificated/icensed staff and paraeducators. 3. Knowedge of (a) patterns of human deveopment and miestones typicay achieved at different ages, and (b) risk factors that may prohibit or impede typica deveopment. 4. Abiity to practice ethica and professiona standards of conduct, incuding the requirements of confidentiaity. 5. Abiity to communicate with coeagues, foow instructions, and use probem soving and other skis that wi enabe the paraeducator to work as an effective member of the instructiona team. 6. Abiity to provide positive behaviora support and management. 7. Knowedge of the ega issues reated to the education of chidren and youth with disabiities and their famiies. 8. Awareness of diversity among the chidren, youth, famiies and coeagues with whom they work. 9. Knowedge and appication of the eements of effective instruction to assist teaching and earning as deveoped by the certificated/ icensed staff in a variety of settings. 10. Abiity to utiize appropriate strategies and techniques to provide instructiona support in teaching and earning as deveoped by the certificated/icensed staff. 11. Abiity to motivate and assist chidren and youth. 12. Knowedge of and abiity to foow heath, safety and emergency procedures of the agency where they are empoyed. 13. Awareness of the ways in which technoogy can assist teaching and earning. 14. Awareness of persona care and/or heath reated support. 5

No Chid Left Behind ParaProfessiona Requirements The aw states in Section 1119(g) that a paraprofessionas who are performing instructiona duties and are funded with Tite I funds, incuding a paraprofessionas performing instructiona duties in a schoowide buiding, must meet specific requirements. Paraprofessionas must currenty have a secondary schoo (high schoo) dipoma or its recognized equivaent, and one of the three requirements when hired: 1. Compete at east two years of study at an institution of higher education; or 2. Obtain an associate s (or higher) degree; or 3. Meet a rigorous standard of quaity and can demonstrate, through a forma state or oca academic assessment: Knowedge of, and the abiity to assist in instructing, reading, writing and mathematics; Knowedge of, and the abiity to assist in instructing, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness as appropriate. Washington s Soutions to Fufi the NCLB Paraprofessiona Requirements Compete two years of study at an institution of higher education. For Washington, two years of study is defined as 72 quarter or 48 semester credits. The institution of higher education must be a nationay recognized accrediting agency that is pubic or non-profit and provides an educationa program for which the institution awards a bacheor s degree or provides not ess than a two-year program that is acceptabe for fu credit toward such a degree. Obtain an associate s (or higher) degree Institutions of higher education, both four and two year institutions, grant severa different types of associate s degrees. Any of these associate s degrees wi fufi this requirement. Forma Assessment Paraprofessionas who do not quaify either through two years of study at an institution of higher education or an associate s degree must quaify to meet the requirement through one of the foowing four options designated as a forma assessment of rigorous standard of quaity. The means by which a paraeducator can meet this requirement is at the district s discretion. ParaPro Assessment deveoped by the Educationa Testing Service (ETS), or A portfoio assessment process, or A process whereby schoo districts can evauate their current assessment procedures to determine if they meet the rigorous standard of quaity as defined by Section 1119 and the November 2002 US Department of Education non-reguatory guidance for Tite I paraprofessionas, or Competion of an approved Apprenticeship Program by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Counci and registered with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. For more information on No Chid Left Behind egisation and requirements visit: U.S. Department of Education: www.ed.gov/ncb/anding State Office of Superintendent of Pubic Instruction: www.k12.wa.us 6

Roes and Responsibiities Roes of the Paraeducator 1. Monitor and assist students during teacher-directed, whoe cass instruction. 2. Monitor and support students during independent work or cooperative earning activities under teacher direction. 3. Provide foow-up instruction after teacher-directed instruction. 4. Provide sma group instruction (pre-teaching or aternative instruction) to students under teacher direction. 5. Train others (peer partners, peer tutors, vounteers, parents) to provide instruction or assistance to students under the direction of a certificated staff member. 6. Support students instructiona program through the preparation of materias and the fufiment of other cerica tasks. 7. Monitor students in a variety of settings such as the cafeteria, bus oading area, payground, haway or auditorium. The foowing chart compares and contrasts the roes of both the teacher and paraeducator. Task Roes Performed by Teacher Roes Performed by Paraeducator Cassroom Organization Assessment Setting Objectives Teaching Behavior Management Working with Parents Pans weeky daiy schedue Pans essons/activities for entire cass and individua chidren Pans room arrangement and earning centers Assesses individua chidren Administers tests to entire cass Determines appropriate objectives for cass and for individua chidren Teaches essons for the entire cass, sma groups and individua chidren Pans behavior management strategies for entire cass and for individua chidren Meets with parents Initiates conferences concerning chid s progress Impements pan as specified by the teacher Assists with monitoring and scoring objective tests Impements essons to meet chid s instructiona objectives Assists and monitors sma groups and individuas with designated essons Impements behaviora management strategies using the same emphasis and techniques as the teacher; reports progress May attend parent conferences and meetings when appropriate Individua Educationa Panning Roes Source: Archer, 1996. Chart Source: Gerach, Pickett, Vasa, 1990. Deveops and impements IEP Revises instructiona programs Designs instructiona materias Attends inservice meetings and professiona deveopment trainings Carries out teacher s pans for chid Monitors student progress in instruction programs and reates findings to supervising teacher Constructs materias designed by supervising teacher May attend professiona deveopment meetings for paraeducators 7

Questions to Ask the First Week on the Job 1. Is there a required orientation to this position? 2. Who is my direct supervisor, or who are my supervisors? 3. If I wi be working with more than one teacher, how wi my time be divided? Who determines this? 4. When is the schedued meeting time with my supervisor? 5. What staff deveopment (training opportunities) wi be avaiabe to me? What additiona training wi be required of me in the future? 6. Who evauates me? How often wi I be evauated? 7. How wi I receive communication from my supervisors, schoo administration and the schoo district? 8. What are my assigned hours? What schedues am I responsibe for foowing? Can I anticipate my schedue changing in any way? 9. When do the students arrive? When do they eave? 10. What wi be my roe in instructiona duties? What wi be my roe in non-instructiona duties? 11. What records wi I be responsibe for keeping? 12. What are the district s reguations regarding emergency provisions (fire dris, earthquake dris, etc.), reporting suspected chid abuse concerns, etc. 13. What are the district s reguations regarding discipine? What is expected of me in terms of student discipine? 14. Wi I be responsibe for any unchroom, payground duties or activities? 15. Where are suppies, equipment and materias kept? How are they obtained? When wi I be trained to use the materias or equipment? 16. What is the ine of communication and authority I am expected to foow? In other words, what is the chain of command in the district? 17. To whom shoud I direct questions regarding district poicy? 18. What are the district s poicies regarding confidentiaity? 19. What student records are avaiabe to me? 20. Where is my spot? In other words, where do I put my persona things and where do I keep the materias I wi be using? 21. What shoud be my response when a parent raises a question regarding a chid I am working with? 22. Is there anything I am expected to do that wasn t mentioned in the interview or on the job description? 23. Am I expected to go to staff meetings? 24. When the teacher is absent, wi my roe change in any way? If I am absent, wi there be a substitute for me? Who do I ca if I am i and not abe to come to work? 25. Are there any affiiations or organizations (for exampe, a union for paraeducators) that I wi be expected to join? Reprinted with permission. Source: Paraeducator and Teacher Team: Strategies for Success, Fifth Edition by Kent Gerach. 2007 Pacific Training Associates, Seatte, WA. 8

Suggested Code of Ethics for Paraeducators A code of ethics defines and describes acceptabe practices. A code for paraeducators woud examine specific responsibiities of the paraeducator, as we as the reationships that must be maintained with students, parents, teachers, schoo and community. Accepting Responsibiities Recognize that the supervisor has the utimate responsibiity for the instruction and management, and foow the directions prescribed by him/her. Engage ony in activities for which you are quaified or trained. Do not communicate progress or concerns about students to parents uness directed to do so by the supervising teacher. Refer concerns expressed by parents, students, or others to the supervising teacher. Reationships with Students and Parents Discuss a chid s progress, imitations and/or educationa program ony with the supervising teacher in the appropriate setting. Discuss schoo probems and confidentia matters ony with appropriate personne. Refrain from engaging in discriminatory practices based on a student s disabiity, race, sex, cutura background or reigion. Respect the dignity, privacy, and individuaity of a students, parents, and staff members. Present yoursef as a positive adut roe mode. Reationship with the Teacher (Supervisor) Recognize the teacher as a supervisor and team eader. Estabish communication and a positive reationship with the teacher. When probems cannot be resoved, utiize the schoo district s grievance procedures. Discuss concerns about the teacher or teaching methods directy with the teacher. Reationship with the Schoo Accept responsibiity for improving skis. Know schoo poicies and procedures. Represent the schoo district in a positive manner. Used with permission. Source: A. L. Pickett, and K. Gerach, Supervising Paraeducators in Schoo Settings. Pro*ed Austin, Texas 2003 Source: S. F. Vasa and A. I. Steckeberg. Department of Specia Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska at Lincon 1991 9

Confidentiaity and Ethics Maintaining confidentiaity is mandated by the Federa Educationa Rights and Privacy Act. It is the aw and it is imperative that schoo personne foow this ethica code of conduct. We are expected to respect the ega and human rights of chidren and their famiies. Therefore, maintaining confidentiaity is essentia. Tips for staff Never vioate confidentiaity! Understand the rue Need to Know vs. Desire to Te. It wi guide you in deciding when and to whom you share student information. Ony those peope who are directy invoved in the education of a specia needs student may have specific student information. Remember you have both your pubic and private sef. As an educator you are aways scrutinized by your community. It is important to project a professiona ethica image both in and out of schoo. If you are unsure about accessing specific student information, ask your supervising teacher. If you are unsure about sharing student information, defer to your supervising teacher. What are the ega and ethica duties of paraeducators? Paraeducators must: 1. Maintain confidentiaity; 2. Respect the ega and human rights of chidren, youth and their famiies; 3. Foow district poicies for protecting the heath, safety, and we-being of chidren and youth; 4. Demonstrate an understanding of distinctions in roes of various educationa personne; 5. Foow the directions of teachers and other supervisors; 6. Foow the chain of command for various administrative procedures; 7. Demonstrate dependabiity, integrity, respect for individua differences and other standards of ethica conduct; 8. Demonstrate a wiingness to participate in training activities to improve performance. Poicies and Procedures Paraeducators need to be aware of district and schoo poicies and procedures. The foowing are some poicies and procedures that vary according to each district: District Poicy for Paraeducator Training Benefits/Working Conditions Supervision Poicy Discipine Poicy Evauation Procedures Emergency Procedures/Schoo Poicy 10 Used with permission. Source: Adapted from the Nationa Resource Center for Paraprofessionas by A. L. Pickett. City University, New York, New York

Chid Deveopment Chidren deveop in predictabe stages of cognitive, physica/sensory, socia/emotiona and anguage deveopment. This deveopment does not necessariy proceed eveny and is affected by such factors as heredity and the environment. The foowing chart describes some genera characteristics of deveoping chidren: 5 Year Od Physicay: has good genera motor contro girs usuay about a year ahead of boys in physica deveopment handedness is estabished eye-hand coordination improving but imited Emotionay: affectionate with others fuctuates between dependency and growing independence anger may be dispayed in temper tantrums become anxious and shows unreasonabe fears at times As a Learner: has short attention span anguage is growing more compex dispays some infantie articuation in speech very curious purposefu and constructive; decides on actions before beginning them creative and imaginative enjoys experimenting with new materias taks freey; may have difficuty istening to others because of eagerness to share own experience With Others: capabe of having, keeping friends aware of rivary with others for attention can be demanding in groups is mainy a famiy member; ikes to hep parents impatient for turns tends to be poor group member because of tendency to be a tattetae has difficuty recognizing ownership; pus, grabs or takes from others 6 Year Od Physicay: easiy fatigued, needs up to eeven hours seep acks deveopment of sma musces difficuty sitting sti; has imited eye-hand coordination very active Emotionay: craves praise; rejects correction easiy discouraged wants to fee secure greaty stirred up by excitement has sense of humor cries, has tantrums fears being ate to schoo As a Learner: fu of curiosity interested primariy in sef ives in the present has difficuty making decisions itte concept of time has short attention span wants to earn many new skis earns through active participation enjoys istening to stories, poems reaching reading readiness stage; reads pictures, printed symbos With Others: wants to pay with other chidren ikes some group pay, but may have difficuty accepting adut direction wants to be first ikes variety in pay, work ikes responsibiity ikes to imitate, dramatize is very takative is at times angeic, generous, companionabe; at other times, sef-centered and demanding is sometimes quarresome, rude, rebeious ikes famiy outings is beginning to be aware of own race is eager to win adut approva Source: Paraprofessionas: Training for the Cassroom, Understanding Chidren, Session II, by Caroyn S. Houk and Robert G. McKenzie. 1988 American Guidance Service, Inc., 4201 Woodand Road, Circe Pines, MN 55014-1796. Used with permission of pubisher. A rights reserved. 11

7 Year Od Physicay: in a period of sow, steady growth has uneven, incompete musce deveopment has more contro of arge musces than sma improved in eye-hand coordination, but not yet ready for cose, fine work Emotionay: confused by sudden changes: needs time to adjust to new situations easiy overstimuated sets unreaistic goas, then fees frustrated moody pretends not to hear when too much guidance is offered concerned about treatment received from others has sense of humor As a Learner: inquistive and curious has short attention span has estabished speech habits; enjoys taking abiity to think ceary exceeds abity to express thoughts deveoping abiity to express can share persona experiences with sma groups earns most readiy through concrete experiences, active participation draws upon experience to sove probems understands some words without direct experience deveoping independence in thinking, working ikes to demonstrate abiity to make choices can hep pan simpe, immediate activities has increased abiity to generaize, organize, cassify, reason With Others: wants group invovement, yet individuaist and sef-centered careess of others property, but protective of own things appreciates contributions of others competitive; ikes to be first ikes to imitate peers, aduts wants approva and assurance of aduts and peers, but aso wants to fee independent begins to join payground games shows race and group consciousness eager to pease 8 Year Od Physicay: growing sowy, steadiy; arms are engthening, hands are enarging sometimes awkward because of uneven growth restess and fidgety improved muscuar coordination, but sti has better contro over arge musces than sma deveopmentay ready to see both near and far shows much interest in deveoping eye-hand coordination skis energetic, but tires easiy has high accident rate due to tendency to be daring thinking ikes variety in schoo day Emotionay: when angry or tired, acts careess and noisy eager to be considered grown up may have many fears, such as fear of being aone or of dark very eager; has more enthusiasm than wisdom wants prestige; may seek it through boasting needs to be protected from overstimuation in environment sef-critica; is maturing in capacity for sef-evauation wants to be good needs much praise, encouragement more dependent on parent(s) and ess so on teacher ikes to gigge; does so without much provocation can initiate, pan activities {continued on foowing page) 12

8 Year Od (continued) As a Learner: inquistive and curious has short attention span has estabished speech habits; enjoys taking abiity to think ceary exceeds abity to express thoughts deveoping abiity to express can share persona experiences with sma groups earns most readiy through concrete experiences, active participation draws upon experience to sove probems understands some words without direct experience deveoping independence in thinking, working ikes to demonstrate abiity to make choices can hep pan simpe, immediate activities has increased abiity to generaize, organize, cassify, reason adventure stories, fairy taes, singing, rhythms, coections of a kinds With Others: ikes to tak ikes to be with peope desires approva of peers, aduts prefers to work, pay with those of own sex chooses own friends; tends to have a best friend ikes to take part in same activities that friends do wants to ook ike others has increased abiity to work, pay in groups ikes schoo aert, friendy, interested in peope desires to be part of the group enjoys dressing up, payacting with friends behaves in contradictory ways, such as fighting with best friend ikes to argue very sensitive to criticism from aduts disikes being tod what to do; prefers subte hint abe to accept some responsibiity 9 Year Od Physicay: eyes are now ready for cose, detaied work has good eye-hand coordination; is ready for crafts, shopwork, maps, other detaied work uses both arge and sma body musces tends to assume awkward body postures Emotionay: becomes irritabe, exhausted from working or paying too hard strives to improve skis; has spirit of competition makes extreme, quick emotiona shifts; can swing from fair pay to aggression, from humor to hostiity worries about heath, schoowork, report cards, faiure embarrasses easiy annoyed by sma detais of iving, such as keeping track of beongings, being neat thinks own things are best; famiy, cass, teacher, schoo As a Learner: desires to buid body of knowedge about such things as socia studies, science, sports records, teevision notices ife sequence, studies peope for evidence of change observes, thinks criticay of sef and word finds homework interesting if aowed to offer own thoughts objects to interruption of favorite schoo activities finds peasure in using own skis; reading for information, writing to communicate own ideas, organizing to improve own work discriminates between meanings of words becoming more creative in thought, written anguage pans activities in detai enjoys written work compares grades with cassmates; bames own poor schoarship on outside factors prefers reading sienty for peasure, oray for information often forgets to bring books, suppies from home ikes music, wants to take instrumenta essons prefers individua instruction from teacher 13

9 Year Od (continued) With Others: ikes most activities of schoo day identifies sef as part of group periodicay practices good manners desires information about famiy background stresses fair pay within competition; judges teachers, friends accordingy shows more interest in activity than in peope doing the activity supports importance of group over individua strives to ive by own group s goas is ikey to pick on others or be picked on by peers doesn t stay ong with any activity engages in more gigging, whispering, secretive conversations than before ikes to hep friends is rowdy one moment, poite the next evauates sef, others by own standards; ignores adut opinions enjoys frightening, spying on, hiding from, scuffing with friends can enjoy games as spectator as we as participant 10 Year Od Physicay: has boundess energy shows increased ski in use of hands dispays eye-hand coordination far beyond that of earier chidhood dispays uneven growth of different body parts ikes games requiring a variety of skis often has poor posture tires easiy and is awkward and restess, due to rapid, uneven growth Emotionay: responds very positivey to praise sometimes overcritica, unchangeabe, uncooperative resents being nagged, condemned, taked down to wants security that comes from adut approva often rebes against practice of persona hygiene gains much satisfaction from increased abiity to achieve growing in abiity to accept consequences of own mistakes, if not too serious more interested, concerned about ideas and beiefs of others than of sef As a Learner: has broadening interests curious about how things work eager to expore; enjoys attacking probems ikes to read wiing to read extensivey to sove probems wants to improve own abiity, master skis has increasing attention span enjoys reaistic and factua materias in books ikes to take part in discussions is beginning to understand sequencing in historica events understands some geography coects stamps, modes, stray pets shows increasing interest in community, nation, word begins to understand that there are probems in outside word deveops reaistic sense of own strengths and weaknesses, ikes and disikes begins to reaize importance of expressing own ideas in cear, comprehensive way ikes adventure With Others: becoming increasingy independent has strong sense of justice and honor is fundamentay honest ikes group activities in work, pay wiing to abide by group decisions has best friends of same sex ikes games in which girs pay against boys desires admiration, approva of own age group interested in gangs or cubs with secret words, codes wi join in a discussion of an individua cub member s shortcomings engages in roughhousing, pointess aughter, practica jokes, siy antics tends to rebe at suggestions from aduts responds readiy to affection and humor from aduts tends toward hero worship 14

11 Year Od Physicay: possesses much energy; is restess grows rapidy in weight, height (especiay girs) is ess fearfu than before of physicay demanding games experiences growth pateaus foowed by uneven deveopment of body parts, often causing awkwardness takes shorter rest periods than before deveops pimpes; perspires profusey shows evidence of physica maturity (physicay, girs are often a fu year ahead of boys) Emotionay: experiences fufiment from succeeding in risk-taking pay is curious about persona reationships wants to express affection; can find an outet for this in caring for pets is growing in deveopment of feeings and judgements that are more stabe, ess sef-serving As a Learner: interested in books on adventure, mystery, science, nature shows progress in generaizing, making deductions shows increased ski in probem soving interested in other peope s ideas has greater understanding of concepts of time, pace has highy deveoped sense of rhythm, sound discrimination, associative memory shows interest in and works effectivey with concrete materias such as cay, paints, wood With Others: is eager to get aong in peer groups considers peer approva more important than adut approva wants prestige in own group wants to dress ike friends; adopts fads wants to beong to cubs with rues reacts favoraby to understandabe authority interested in rivary, competition ikes team games respects good sportsmanship interested in earning money for specia wants is beginning to understand interdependence of peope 15

Characteristics of the tweve and thirteen-year-od as a earner are not given beow since, generay speaking, changes in this area after age eeven are not neary as rapid as before. Chidren between the ages of eeven and fifteen share certain menta characteristics. They think more ogicay. They can make deductions. They deveop higher math skis. They combine ideas and see contradictions more easiy. Chidren in this age range do continue, however, to experience changes physicay, emotionay, and sociay. 12 Year Od Physicay: fatigues more easiy than in past few years seeps ess deepy than before is abe to sit quiety for increasingy onger periods of time shows definite signs of the beginning of puberty Emotionay: restricts showing affection for parents worries about schoowork, exams expresses anger verbay more often than before cries ess often conceas hurt feeings shows ess jeaousy, except toward sibings shows maturing sense of humor growing cautious about expressing emotions With Others: ikes team aspect of games gets aong better with friends and parents than in past few years shows increasing tact with sibings ikes teachers more critica of sef than before finds roe mode of same sex 13 Year Od Physicay: experiencing fu-bown puberty more ikey to be overweight than underweight often has tremendous appetite Emotionay: spends much time in daydreaming, fantasy accepts sef ess than during previous year tends to worry about heath very concerned with physica appearance With Others: takes risks that may incude minor deinquency has conficts with parents more than ever before boy seeks best friends of same sex has difficuty baancing demands of peers, aduts gir changes friends often; seeks to beong to peer group shows disapprova of nonconforming peers 16

Behavior Management When working with students, the paraeducator wi be expected to support the behavior management pan of the teacher. It is important to discuss with each teacher the behavior expectations and interventions which s/he has estabished, and to define the roe of the paraeducator in carrying out that pan. The use of proactive management strategies often heps paraeducators avoid possibe management difficuties. Proactive means panning ahead to avoid probems. Foowing is a ist of proactive management strategies which have proven successfu in the cassroom. It is preferabe to spend the majority of our behavior management energies here. Proactive Management Strategies Strategy Exampe Avoid the void Estabish cear expectations for desired behavior Use non-verba cues Use proximity Show respect/regard for a students Address students by name Use students names in exampes during instruction Provide praise to students as a group Provide praise to individua students Provide non-contingent acknowedgement to a students State your expectations before each activity Pan an abundance of activities, each session. When a natura void occurs, give students a specific behavior. ( I need to ocate our word ist. You may tak quiety. ) Estabish and post no more than five rues for group instruction. Rues shoud be positivey stated with the most important isted first. Smie, nod, make eye contact with student, give a thumbs up sign. Move coser to a student who is off task. Say thank you when student compies with a request. Use cam voice and manner, even when student becomes agitated. Good morning, Nadia. Gary, that s a good start. If Gary had eight packs of baseba cards and there were 20 cards in each pack, how many cards woud Gary have? You are doing an exceent job of practicing speing words in pairs. That is an exceent topic sentence. That s a great, new hair-do. I enjoyed taking with you. We be reviewing fractions. After I give you a probem, you wi work it out on your paper. When I give the signa you wi compare your answer to your partner s. Restate the task or the rue for We re answering the first question on page 12. the group Thank you for finding your seats before the be rings. Source: Adapted from PSESD Leve II Cass, Instructiona Roe of the Paraeducator by Anita Archer, 1996. 17

Behavior Management continued In spite of our prevention strategies, sometimes misbehaviors wi occur that ca for adut response. The foowing procedures are provided as possibe exampes. Remember that specific intervention strategies need to be discussed ahead of time with the teacher. It is desirabe to have such a pan in pace before a behavior probem emerges. Behavior Management Strategies for Paraeducators Supporting Teachers During Whoe-Cass Instruction When a behaviora chaenge begins to emerge, assist in a non-instructive manner that aows the esson momentum to continue. Some possibe options incude: 1. Stand near the student/s exhibiting inappropriate behavior. Maintain your attention on the teacher. 2. Touch the student s back, then step away, whie maintaining your attention on the teacher. 3. Communicate to the student using nonverba procedures, such as eye contact, a nod, or gesture. 4. If necessary, give a quiet, private redirective to the student. Te the student the exact behavior that you desire. End the directive with Thank you, and move your attention away from the student. When Providing Sma-Group Instruction When monitoring students apart from the teacher in a sma group in the back of the cassroom, or in another room the foowing management strategies may be hepfu. When a behaviora chaenge begins to emerge, ignore the behavior if: you can teach, the student can earn, his/her cassmates can earn, and the behavior is unikey to escaate. If it is a behavior you cannot ignore, use this five step behavior pan: 1. Use nonverba communication (eye contact, proximity, touch.) 2. Give a redirective to the group. 3. Praise students who are making appropriate choices. 4. If necessary, give a quiet, private redirective to individua students. State the exact behavior that you desire. End the directive with Thank you, and move your attention away from the student. 5. If the off-task behavior continues, give a choice that invoves a consequence. ( If you don t put the magazine away, I wi need to take it away. ) 18

Teaming with the Teacher to Assist with Instruction Assisting with instruction is defined by the roes and responsibiities of a paraeducator: Providing instructiona services to students whie working under the direct supervision of a teacher. Working under the direct supervision of a teacher is interpreted, through the US Department of Education s Tite I Paraprofessiona Non-reguatory Guidance (November 2002), to mean: The teacher: The paraprofessiona: Pans the instructiona support activities the paraprofessiona carries out. Evauates the achievement of the students with whom the paraprofessiona is working. works in cose and frequent proximity with the teacher. Assisting with instruction has the foowing four components: Part I: Panning The teacher and paraeducator coaborate to prepare the esson, identify who the esson is for, and the objectives and purpose of the esson. Part II: Working with Students The paraeducator impements the esson prepared by the teacher. Part III: Communicating the Performance of Students to the Teacher The paraeducator records the student performance and communicates this information to the teacher. Part IV: Refection on the Instructiona Session The paraeducator sef-assesses their success in teaching the esson incuding their interactions with the teacher and students during the panning, working with students, and communicating the performance of students to the teacher. Refection questions: What went we? What didn t go we? What additiona information or strategies do I need? What woud I do differenty next time? Adapted from Let s Team Up! A Checkist for Paraeducators, Teachers and Principas. 5th edition. Kent Gerach, Nationa Education Association, Washington D.C., 2007. 19

Effective Instructiona Strategies The teacher has the contractua responsibiity for designing instruction and management programs for students. The paraeducator is often caed upon to hep carry out and monitor these programs. It is aso the responsibiity of the teacher to introduce and mode instructiona programs for paraeducators. Some of the instructiona strategies which teachers often seect for use by paraeducators are: 1. Provide additiona input to students which paraes the teacher s input: I DO IT Provide additiona modeing (demonstration) for the student, using wording simiar to that used by the teacher. WE DO IT Prompt or guide students in competing additiona items. Fade the assistance as students demonstrate competency. YOU DO IT Observe students competing items independenty. 2. Promote the use of earning strategies seected by the teacher to assist the student: a. An effective strategy for answering written questions: 1. Read the question carefuy. 2. Change the question into part of the answer and write it down. 3. Locate the part of the chapter/story which taks about that topic. (Use headings and sub-headings.) 4. Read the section unti you find the answer. 5. Compete your answer. b. An effective strategy for studying or memorizing information (RCRC): R = Read C = Cover R = Recite C = Check Read a itte bit of materia. Read it more than once. Cover the materia with your hand. Te yoursef what you have read. Say the topic and important detais in your own words. Lift your hand and check. If you forget something that is important, begin again. c. An effective strategy for proofreading: 1. Check to be sure each sentence makes SENSE. 2. Check the CAPITALS. 3. Check the PUNCTUATION. 4. Check the SPELLING: If you don t know how to spe a word: ook in the assignment ook in the textbook ook in the gossary if you can t find the correct speing, underine the word. When you finish proofreading: ask someone how to spe the word ook up the word in a dictionary if you sti can t spe the word, use another word. 3. An effective procedure for teaching students a ist of words: This word is. (I do it) Say it with me:. (We do it) What word?. (You do it) If the student mispronounces a word, say: This word is. What word? Return to the top of the ist. Point to each word and say: What word? Repeat unti the word ist is read accuratey.) 4. An effective procedure for teaching speing words: Point to the first word. This word is. What word? is speed. Spe. Cover up the word. Write. Uncover the word. Check your word. 20 Source: Adapted from PSESD Leve II Cass Instructiona Roe of the Paraeducator by Anita Archer

Repeat for remaining words. If student spes a word incorrecty, have the student cross out the word and copy it correcty. Check up: Let s check these words. Turn your paper over. The first word is write. The next word is Continue for the rest of the words. 5. Some effective procedures for heping students read materia above their independent reading eve: Read seection to students. Read oray to students, pausing before eected words; students fi in the next word choray. Have students read choray with you. Have students read a paragraph to a partner. Have students read a paragraph with their partner. Have students read a paragraph sienty, ooking for a specific piece of information which you have asked them to find. 6. An effective procedure for reading with comprehension on each page: Read a page using one of the procedures in #5. Deveop one to three questions for each page. To enhance comprehension of future stories, focus these questions on the foowing: (Exampe questions) Where does this story take pace (setting)? Who is the main character? What is the character s probem (or goa)? How did s/he try to resove his/her probem (or meet the goa)? What happened in the end? How did the character fee? How did you fee? When the students finish reading the page, ask the deveoped questions. Effective instruction incudes providing weorganized essons to students. Lessons need to be presented in the same quaity as a certificated teacher woud present them. The foowing is an overview of an effective esson: OPENING Attention Review Goa BODY Mode PARTS OF A LESSON Gain students attention. Review necessary preskis. State goa of the esson. Today we are going to... I Do It. Demonstrate each step in the strategy. Proceed step by step. Te students what you are doing and thinking. Prompt We Do It. Guide students in performing the strategy. Have students perform each step after you. Prompt by asking a question or giving a directive. Continue unti proficiency is demonstrated. Check You Do It. Have students perform the strategy independenty. Carefuy monitor their performance and give them feedback. CLOSE Review Preview Independent Have students review the critica esson content. State the content of the next esson. Seatwork or homework. 21

Working with ELL Students The schoo districts in Washington state serve a diverse popuation of ELL (Engish Language Learners) students. Many countries and anguages are represented. Paraeducators may pay a critica roe in heping students with different first anguages fee wecomed and vaued in the schoo setting. The paraeducator s attitude and actions wi aso mode the kind of cross-cutura understanding and acceptance which we want a students to demonstrate. The foowing chart gives an overview of the four stages of secondanguage deveopment which occur as students gain Engish fuency. Strategy: Appropriate Instructiona Activities: Students May Respond By: 1. PREPRODUCTION TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR) Students communicate with gestures and actions 2. EARLY PRODUCTION Students speak using one or two words 3. SPEECH EMERGENCE Students speak in commands, onger phrases, and compete sentences 4. INTERMEDIATE FLUENCY Students communicate with gestures and actions Lessons focus on istening comprehension Lessons buid receptive vocabuary Meanings of words taught by: use of visua aids and gestures sow speech, emphasizing key words not forcing ora production writing key words on the board and asking students to copy as they are presented Lessons expand receptive vocabuary Activities incude: pictures charades roe-paying open-end sentences interview with guideines written out Lessons continue to expand receptive vocabuary Activities are designed to promote higher eves of anguage use Activities incude: preference ranking games group discussion readings descriptions of visuas writing composition Activities are designed to deveop higher eves of anguage use in content areas Reading and writing activities are incorporated into essons Performing an act Pointing to an item or a picture Writing the etter corresponding to a picture Gesturing or nodding Saying yes or no Saying the names of other students Yes/no answers One-word answers from either/or questions One-word answers from genera questions Lists of words Two words and short phrases Three words and short phrases Longer phrases Compete sentences Diaogue Extended narrative Participation in ora and written activities, with some errors Source: Adapted from The Natura Approach: Language Acquisition in the Cassroom. Krashen, S. and Terre, T. Prentice Ha 1983. 22

Diversity Within Our Schoos Paraeducators often work with students from a variety of backgrounds. As cassrooms continue to refect a broad range of diversity, a schoo staff need to deveop cuturay competent skis in order to buid trusting reationships with students from a variety of races, ethnicities, disabiities, countries of origin, socioeconomic casses, reigions, genders and sexua orientations. To accompish this goa, paraeducators must work with their teachers and schoo community to create a safe and incusive earning environment for a students. The foowing key points wi assist paraeducators and the teachers with whom they work in deveoping and supporting a cuturay competent environment: Recognize students bring different cutura experiences to the cassroom. When working with students, it s important to remember students represent the cutures in the oca community. Think about how cuture might infuence the behaviors and attitudes of the students with whom you work. For exampe, in some cutures, communication stye is expressive and confrontationa. However, this type of communication is often misinterpreted as disruptive or rude by those outside of the cuture. In other cutures, students may tend to be reserved but may be mistaken as being disinterested. In addition, eye contact, body anguage, and persona space preferences vary across cutures. Educate yoursef about the cutures in your schoo community to hep you understand and effectivey engage with students and their famiies. For more information regarding cutura cues, visit the Muticutura Tookit website: www.awesomeibrary.org/muticuturatookit.htm Honor cutura differences. In order to deveop trusting reationships with students, paraeducators shoud communicate interest in aspects of their student s cutura background. Preface a discussion by saying, Learning about a student s cutura background is very important to me. If you fee comfortabe sharing, I am interested in earning more about who you are. Stay away from making assumptions about a student s racia/ethnic background. Honor your student s privacy and be carefu not to make assumptions about a student s socioeconomic status, reigious beiefs or sexua orientation. Consut with your teacher about incuding cuturay sensitive materia in the cassroom. In order for students to deveop a sense of beonging and connection to their earning environment, experts agree the cassroom must incude artwork, quotes, books and other materia that refect the diversity in the cassroom. For free resources and posters visit the Teaching Toerance website: www.teachingtoerance.org Prepare to share you own cutura background. Some students may experience difficuty in being honest and open about their cutura experiences with outsiders. In efforts to aeviate discomfort, experts suggest educators begin a cuture discussion by sharing their own ethnic background, famiy traditions and other unique cutura components. Acknowedging persona cutura information with students is the first step toward estabishing a trusting reationship. 23