Collaborating with Paraprofessionals
Paraprofessionals are usually employees or workers who lack the qualifications for a certain position and are not licensed to work in that position, but the tasks they handle are in support of qualified professionals in that particular field. In education, paraprofessionals serve as assistants to the teachers where they help them to manage the classrooms and the students in the classroom. They are required when the teachers prepare lessons, examinations, and homework. This is because they interact with students as teachers do and give students guidance on the lessons. Paraprofessionals are skilled and trained in a way they can comfortably work with students in the classroom.
When organizing the day, I will collaborate with a paraprofessional to ensure that the time I am not in the classroom, I am represented by the paraprofessional. This is because the paraprofessional requires time to guide the students. Because the paraprofessionals are involved in managing a classroom, they must be included when the day is being organized so that they can know the timetable of the classroom. I will collaborate with a paraprofessional in organizing the day to ensure they are involved in the management of the students while in the classroom. This is because they will know what is expected of students at every hour of the day which will enhance their management.
I will collaborate with paraprofessionals in planning for the individual student t curriculum. This is because paraprofessionals offer differentiated instructions to students and enable students to benefit from individualized attention. Paraprofessionals should be included in planning individual student curriculum because they are the ones who provide individualized attention to these students. They are involved so that the support offered to the children can assist them to improve their condition while in the classroom. The paraprofessionals provide the required support to students with a disability who require them to understand individual student curriculum so that they can provide the required services to students at the expected time. They are trained to take care of individual students, and this can be effective if they are involved in planning the curriculum of individual students. They also offer personal care to these students which is why they should be included in the planning of individual student curriculum. Teachers can include the paraprofessionals in the meeting for designing individual student curriculum so that they can contribute their views on what should be included in the curriculum. They should be given a chance to include their activities in the curriculum which will aid their support for individual students. This will ensure they are involved in the development of a curriculum.
I will collaborate with paraprofessionals in working with related services providers where I will share resources and results of the students to these paraprofessionals. This will be a way to ensure that they understand the weaknesses of each student in a classroom which will enhance their planning for one-on-one instructions. Providing the paraprofessionals with the latest results will enable them to work with related service providers in improving the condition of the student as they will understand the progress of each student. Including the paraprofessionals in the designing of curriculum and allocation of resources will be the best way to collaborate them with the other related service providers because they understand the needs of these students and will include the needs when interacting with related service providers. Proper communication between paraprofessionals and related service providers will enhance their collaboration which will make them effective in supporting students while in the classroom.
In conflict resolution with students, teachers, and self, I will collaborate with paraprofessionals where I will enlighten them on the cause of the conflict. They will use that as the basis for conflict resolution because paraprofessionals are trained to manage people with different characters. This will make it easy for them to solve any conflict that happens in the school environment. Involving paraprofessionals in conflict management ensures collaboration which will yield best results in the schools. The paraprofessionals will also get training of conflict management so that they can assist in case of conflicts between students, teachers or even other service related providers.
In ensuring that paraprofessionals use strategies the way they are expected, I will include them in the planning of all the recourses and curriculum for the students. I will include them in project planning of the school so that they can know their roles in the project. Communication will also play a role in ensuring that they act as expected. This is where I will give them proper instructions on what they should do in all cases to ensure they do it in the right manner. Training them is another plan that will ensure paraprofessionals use strategies the way they are expected. This is because they will get the know-how of every strategy and through experienced, they will make sure all strategies are done as expected. Working together with the paraprofessional in a classroom and other activities regarding students makes them well equipped with the skills and strategies to do exactly as you do which will make sure that they perform activities as expected of them.
What I learned from this course is that management and teaching of students with disability require a network of people that should all collaborate to ensure effective management of these students. Students with disabilities have individual needs that should be solved differently. Having paraprofessionals who are ready to take care of every student need is the key to the success of the students in their education as well as physical needs. The collaboration of teachers and paraprofessionals is important as it will ensure that students are well managed while in the classroom, and they get the right instructions for the education.
For teachers to ensure collaboration with students and paraprofessionals, they should include paraprofessionals in all the plans of the school including distribution of resources and designing of a curriculum. This will ensure that they understand what is in the curriculum which will be used to support students while in the classroom. Involving paraprofessionals in conflict resolutions between students and teachers or even other related workers gives them the know-how of how to resolve conflicts in case they occur in the absence of the teachers. This way, they become perfect assistants of the teachers as they can manage all that a teacher can do.
The content I have learner will help me in issues relating to collaboration with paraprofessionals because I understand the importance and different ways I can enhance the collaboration. I will implement the plans in my future career where paraprofessionals will be involved n all activities of the school so that they can assist me when am not available for the students.