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MODULE 1INTRODUCTION TO THE PARAEDUCATOR ROLE

Assisting Students with Disabilities:

A Training Program for Paraeducators

Developed By:

Wendy Mager, Research Assistant

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Kim Costello, Research AssistantPriti Wilson, Research Assistant

Barbara Locker, Kentucky State Improvement GrantJeanna Mullins, Kentucky Transition CollaborativeBeth Harrison, Kentucky Transition Collaborative

Harold Kleinert, Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute

Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute,University of Kentucky

June, 2004

COPYRIGHT. The material contained within this document was developed by the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky using funding received via a State Improvement Grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Grant #h323A990013) using a train-the-trainer framework for direct delivery to participants. Materials may be copied and used with appropriate acknowledgment of the source.

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This program is intended to be used as pre-service or in-service training to help paraeducators who work with students with disabilities in the state of Kentucky be as effective as possible in their roles. The development of this program was supported by a State Improvement Grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Grant #H323A990013), which was provided to the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute (IHDI) at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Content provided in this training program is intended to help paraeducators meet a set of core competencies identified for paraeducators in Kentucky. Some content has been borrowed (with permission) from other states that have developed similar materials. Other content is the original work of the manual authors and the other professionals on the IHDI staff.

This training program is divided into 8 modules. In general, it is recommended that the modules be presented in the order they are provided in the manual. However, depending on the knowledge level of the trainees, some modules may also be effective as stand-alone modules. Modules 1 and 3-7 are for paraeducators; Module 2 is for supervisors of paraeducators (teachers and administrators). It is highly recommended that Modules 1 and 2 be provided either at the same time (Module 1 to paraeducators and Module 2 to supervisors) or close together in time. This is because paraeducators operate within a system (the school environment) and it is difficult for them to improve their job performance, based on the training they receive, if key people in their environment (teachers, administrators) aren’t also aware of the relevant “best practices.”

The topics and estimated training time for the material within this training program are as follows:

Module 1: Introduction to the Paraeducator Role (6-8 hrs.)Unit 1 – Roles & Responsibilities (1½-2½ hrs.)Unit 2 – Communication & Teamwork Skills (3 hrs.)Unit 3 – Legal & Ethical Issues (1½-2½ hrs.)

Module 2: Effective Supervision of Paraeducators (6 hrs.)Unit 1 – Teacher Supervision of Paraeducators (3 hrs.)Unit 2 – Administrator Supervision of Paraeducators (3 hrs.)

Module 3: Providing Instructional Support (6 hrs.)Unit 1 – Assisting with the Instructional Process (3 hrs.)Unit 2 – Providing Direct Instruction (3 hrs.)

Module 4: Providing Behavioral Support (3 hrs.)

Module 5: Learning about Disabilities (2 hrs.)

Module 6: Safety and Health-Related Procedures (6 hrs.)

Module 7: Introduction to Transition Issues (3 hrs.)

Module 8: Assistive Technology (2 hrs.)

Assisting Students with Disabilities:A Training Program for Paraeducators

RESOURCES & MATERIALS

Agency for Instructional Technology. (1995). Before the bell rings: what every paraeducator should know. Bloomington, Indiana 47402-0120.

Department of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services. (1995). Enhancing the skills of paraeducators: A video assisted program . Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322.

Kansas State Department of Education. (1997). Guidelines for Training, Utilization and Supervision of Paraeducators and Aides. Topeka, KS: Author.

Pickett, A.L. (1989). Restructuring the school: The role of paraprofessionals. Washington, D.C. Center for Policy Research, National Governors' Association.

Pickett, A.L. (1997, 5th edition). A training program to prepare teachers to supervise and work more effectively with paraprofessional personnel. New York. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and Related Services, Center for Advanced Center in Education, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York.

Pickett, A.L. & Formanek, 1 (1982). Handbook for special education paraprofessionals New York. New York City Public Schools.

Pickett, A.L. Faison, K & Formanek, J. (1999). A core curriculum and training program to prepare paraeducators to work in inclusive classrooms serving school age students with disabilities. New York. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and related Services, Center for Advanced Center in Education, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York.

Pickett, A.L. & Gerlach, K. (1997). Supervising paraeducators in school setting: A team approach. Austin: Pro-Ed.

Project PARA. (1995). Barkley Memorial Center Paraeducator Self-Study Program. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Sugai, G. M., & Tindal, G. A. (1993). Effective School Consultation: An Interactive Approach. Brooks/Cole: Pacific Grove, CA.

Washington Education Association Paraeducator Project. (1998). Introductory Level Training for Paraeducators. Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Special Education.

RELATED WEB SITES

Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium:http://ici2.umn.edu/para/

National Clearinghouse for Paraeducator Resources: http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/Clearinghouse.html

National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and Related Services:http://www.nrcpara.org

Washington Education Association – Paraeducator Project:http://www.wa.nea.org/PRF_DV/PARA_ED/PARA.htm

Views on Paraeducators:http://www.cesa4.k12.wi.us/programs-services/para/parasurvey.htm

UNIT OVERVIEW

This unit discusses the roles and responsibilities of all the core instructional team members (administrators, teachers, and paraeducators) in helping paraeducators to be maximally effective in the classroom. The unit addresses the following paraeducator competencies:

Standard 1.0 General Knowledge and Values (C)Standard 2.0 Maintaining Safe & Supportive Instructional Environments (A, B)Standard 6.0 Communicating and Collaborating with Teachers, Parents, and Others (A)Standard 7.0 Participating in Professional and Ethical Practices (D)

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

The paraeducator will be presented with information that will help him/her to:

1) Understand how the paraeducator role developed and the current status of the position.

2) Understand the importance of the team setting within which paraeducators function.

3) Describe the teamwork responsibilities of paraeducators, teachers, and administrators.

4) Describe the distinctions among the roles of teachers, other school professionals, and paraeducators.

TIME REQUIRED

The time required to teach this unit should be approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the level of experience of the participants and the activities selected by the instructor.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIAL REQUIRED

A flipchart and easel, and/or chalkboard.

An overhead projector and screen. Or, if you prefer, you can write the information contained in the transparencies on the flipchart or chalkboard.

Copies of the Information Handouts, Exercises, and Overhead Transparencies for this unit.

Copies of 1) your district's job descriptions for teachers and paraeducators, 2) the Kentucky Department of Education classification criteria for paraeducators, and 3) validated list of competencies for Kentucky’s paraeducators who work with children with disabilities.

Information about the various programs in your district or agency that serve children and youth with special needs including disabilities or those who come from backgrounds that place them at risk.

MODULE 1, UNIT 1Roles and Responsibilities

BEFORE THE TRAINING BEGINS

Review Unit Overview, Session Agenda, Handouts, Transparencies, and Exercises provided. Text that is found in italics in the Session Agenda represents instructions directed toward the trainer; all remaining text is information to be conveyed directly to those attending the training.

Review the information described above about the policies and regulatory procedures, job descriptions, and personnel practices from your district or state department of education.

After reviewing all available materials for this unit, determine the breadth and depth of coverage that will best meet the needs of the paraeducators in your region or district and that will fit within your time constraints.

OUTLINE OF SESSION CONTENT

Lesson 1: Overview of the Paraeducator RoleA. Historical overview of the development of this occupationB. Current definition & work settingsC. Benefits of having paraeducators involved in the instructional process

Lesson 2: The Administrator-Teacher-Paraeducator TeamA. Importance of the teamB. Administrator teamwork responsibilitiesC. Teacher teamwork responsibilitiesD. Paraeducator teamwork responsibilities

Lesson 3: Distinctions between teacher and paraeducator instructional responsibilitiesA. Teacher: Primary responsibility for students’ educationB. Paraeducator: Assisting the teacher with instructional tasks

Closing

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS

Agency for Instructional Technology. (1995). Before the bell rings: what every paraeducator should know. Bloomington, Indiana 47402-0120.

Department of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services. (1995). Enhancing the skills of paraeducators: A video assisted program . Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322.

Kansas State Department of Education. (1997). Guidelines for Training, Utilization and Supervision of Paraeducators and Aides. Topeka, KS: Author.

Pickett, A.L. (1989). Restructuring the school: The role of paraprofessionals. Washington, D.C. Center for Policy Research, National Governors' Association.

Pickett, A.L. (1997, 5th edition). A training program to prepare teachers to supervise and work more effectively with paraprofessional personnel. New York. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and Related Services, Center for Advanced Center in Education, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York.


Pickett, A.L. & Formanek, 1 (1982). Handbook for special education paraprofessionals New York. New York City Public Schools.

Pickett, A.L. Faison, K & Formanek, J. (1993). A core curriculum and training program to prepare paraeducators to work with school age students in inclusive classrooms. New York. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals in Education and related Services, Center for Advanced Center in Education, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York.

Pickett, A.L. & Gerlach, K (1997). Supervising paraeducators in school setting: A team approach. Austin: Pro-Ed.

Project PARA. (1995). Barkley Memorial Center Paraeducator Self-Study Program. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Washington Education Association Paraeducator Project. (1998). Introductory Level Training for Paraeducators. Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Special Education.


SESSION AGENDA

INTRODUCTION

Transparency #1. Brief lecture:

This training is about paraeducators who work with students with disabilities. Paraeducators include people who go by any of the following job titles: teacher aide, instructional assistant, paraprofessional, job coach, educational technician, or therapy aide or assistant. The term that is preferred in the professional literature is “paraeducator,” so that is what we’ll use in this training.

There is a wide range of knowledge and skills needed by paraeducators who work with students with disabilities in order to function as effectively as possible. The training module that will be covered today addresses issues such as what the instructional team can do to help the paraeducator, communication skills for functioning within a team, and learning about legal and ethical issues in working with students with disabilities.

Transparency #2 . The training module we’ll cover today is organized into the following units:

Module 1: Introduction to the Paraeducator RoleUnit 1 – Roles & ResponsibilitiesUnit 2 – Communication & Teamwork SkillsUnit 3 – Legal & Ethical Issues

Other core topics that paraeducators need to know about, and which are covered in other trainings (including other modules within this particular program) include instructional techniques, behavior management techniques, information about disabilities and Special Education services, and health-related and emergency procedures. This kind of training is increasingly becoming available, as we rely on paraeducators more and more. However, today, we will focus on the roles and responsibilities of the primary members of the instructional team, which is Module 1 in this training program.

Transparency #3. Describe the following instructional objectives for the session. The various activities in this unit are designed to meet the following four goals:

1) To understand how the paraeducator role developed and the current status of the position.

2) To understand the importance of the team setting within which paraeducators function.

3) To describe the teamwork responsibilities of paraeducators, teachers, and administrators.

4) To describe the distinctions among the roles of teachers, other school professionals, and paraeducators.

We’ll use lectures and small group work to accomplish these goals. You are encouraged to take notes during the session, especially during lecture material. Some of this material will be provided to you in the form of handouts, but the handouts only summarize main points. Taking notes will help you remember the material in more detail.


Transparency #4, Handout #1 (p. 19) . Give the following overview of the session content. This is a broad overview of the topics that are covered in this training unit:

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Paraeducator RoleA. Historical overview of the development of this occupationB. Current definition & work settingsC. Benefits of having paraeducators involved in the instructional process


Lesson 3: Distinctions between teacher and paraeducator instructional responsibilitiesA. Teacher: Primary responsibility for students’ educationB. Paraeducator: Assisting the teacher with instructional tasks

Closing


LESSON 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PARAEDUCATOR ROLE

Historical Overview of the Development of the Paraeducator Role

Transparency #5, Handout #2 (p. 20). Brief lecture:

In today's schools, several factors have converged that have led to an even greater reliance on paraeducators in more complex and demanding roles. They include:

1) the increased participation of students with disabilities in inclusive and community-based educational settings

2) federal and state legislative mandates for adequate support of students with disabilities in educational settings

3) teacher shortages 4) continuing efforts to redefine and restructure the roles of teachers

It has been more than 40 years since teacher aides were introduced into classrooms to enable teachers to spend more time planning and implementing instructional activities. In the 1950s, a Post-World War II shortage of teachers forced local school boards to find alternative personnel and methods for providing education services. As a result of a project sponsored by the Ford Foundation in Bay City, Michigan and research efforts at Syracuse University, the value of employing teacher aides was demonstrated. Initially the duties assigned to teacher aides were routine and included record keeping, housekeeping tasks, monitoring students on playgrounds and in study halls and lunch rooms, and preparing materials. The introduction of Title I and Head Start programs in the late 1960s and the passage of P.L. 94-142 in the mid 1970s provided momentum for the employment of paraprofessionals. At the same time, greater emphasis began to be placed on their roles in providing direct education and support services to children, youth, and their parents.

Indeed, the 1997 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.) recognized this increased reliance on paraprofessionals in more complex and demanding roles. State and local education agencies are now required to develop policies and infrastructures that will insure that paraprofessionals are appropriately prepared and supervised in order to carry out their assigned tasks. Title I of the elementary and Secondary Education Act also acknowledges the need for systematic paraprofessional training and supervision. In response to the increased recognition of the importance of paraeducator training, a number of agencies and organizations across the country have developed training programs. This program is just one example of the programs that are becoming available.

Current Definition & Work Settings


As previously stated, paraeducators include people who go by all of the following job titles: teacher aide, instructional assistant, paraprofessional, job coach, educational technician, or therapy aide or assistant. We use the term “paraeducator” since that is what is generally preferred in the professional literature. It is seen as a more accurate and more professional way to refer to this role. “Para” means “along-side” – so it means someone who works “alongside” an educator – similar to the way assistants in the medical and legal field are called “paramedics” and “paralegals.”


A very general job description that conveys the current meaning of the paraeducator role is that it is a school employee who:

1) provides instructional or other direct support services to children, youth, and their families, and

2) works under the supervision of a certified/licensed staff member who is responsible for the design, implementation, assessment, and evaluation of learner progress and instructional programs

Transparency #7. You can find paraeducators employed in a variety of education-related work settings. These include inclusive general and special education classrooms, early intervention and preschool programs, libraries and computer labs, parent training programs, transition training, supported employment or other vocational programs, as well as a host of fields often involved in the education of students with disabilities (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language pathology, health services, and social work case management).

Handout #3 (p. 21) . This is the list of “competencies” or abilities that are currently expected of paraeducators in the state of Kentucky. Today’s training is designed to provide instruction in the following competencies:

Standard 1.0 General Knowledge and Values (A, C-E)Standard 2.0 Maintaining Safe & Supportive Instructional Environments (A, B, D)Standard 6.0 Communicating and Collaborating with Teachers, Parents, and Others (A-E)Standard 7.0 Participating in Professional and Ethical Practices (A, D-F)

Benefits of Paraeducator Involvement

Transparency #8. Because of paraeducator involvement, educational programs are improved in the following ways:

1) There is more individualized attention and instruction to students.2) There is increased monitoring and evaluation of students’ progress.3) There are more positive role models for students.4) There is more time for teachers to: a) study and assess the needs of each student, b) confer

with colleagues and parents, c) diagnose problems, d) prepare and plan for individualized instruction, and e) test and assess a broader range of teaching techniques and strategies.

Transparency #9. These improvements in educational programs are associated with the following positive outcomes for students:

1) Improved learning2) Greater consistency in services provided to students3) More positive student attitudes toward school and learning4) More appropriate student behaviors in the classroom

5) Improved parent-school-community relations


LESSON 2: THE ADMINISTRATOR – TEACHER – PARAEDUCATOR TEAM

Transparency #10, Handout #4 (p. 24) . Brief lecture:

Paraeducators need to have a core set of knowledge and skills in order to function effectively when working with students with disabilities. However, also crucial to their success is the knowledge and skill level of those around them – the teachers and administrators they work with on an instructional team. Paraeducators don’t function in isolation; they work in a team setting. Their team-mates (teachers & administrators) also need to understand the roles & responsibilities that are appropriate for paras, ways of communicating and working with the para as a team member, as well as how to supervise paras and provide appropriate structure. That is why we developed Module 2 of this training program. It provides training to teachers and administrators in the best practices for working with paraeducators.

Administrator Teamwork Responsibilities

Transparency #11 . Brief lecture:

Administrators are primarily responsible for providing the kind of structure at the school or district level that will support paraeducators. This responsibility can take a variety of forms. One example is that administrators can improve the efficiency of the paras in their school if the paras are hired and trained according to “Needs Assessments.” Needs Assessments can inform administrators about the specific needs of their student body with regard to paraeducator support. They can also help identify training needs of their staff, including paraeducators. Hiring paras who “fit” with their school needs and arranging for appropriate training for staff is a way administrators can maximize the use of paras.

Administrators also affect the success of paraeducators by the kind of job orientation they provide. A thorough, informative orientation can help a para function more effectively and feel more positively toward the job. For example, an orientation should include things like a written job description, introductions to key personnel in the school, and information about school- and district-wide policies and practices that will affect them (e.g., how to request time off, first aid and emergency procedures, etc.).

Another very important way that administrators impact paraeducators has to do with providing structure for the task of supervising paraeducators. Although it’s teachers, not administrators, who directly supervise paras, it is administrators who are responsible for setting and enforcing policies with regard to teacher supervision of paras. Administrators are responsible for periodically evaluating their policies and making changes, as needed, so that paraeducators receive the best possible supervision. Administrators can look to national standards that are being developed for paraeducator supervision and consider ways of integrating these policies into their school. Important policy topics include teacher involvement in the selection/recruitment of paraeducators, appropriate tasks for teachers to delegate to paras, and guidelines for exactly how supervision should occur. Finally, as the supervisors of teachers, administrators should evaluate the quality of supervision that teachers are providing to their paras, as a part of teachers’ job evaluations.

The skills needed to do these kinds of tasks are generally taught in administrator training programs. But professional development programs (such as the current one) can help administrators tailor their skills to specific para issues. In our program, Unit 2 (for Administrators) of this module (Module 1)


goes into more detail about why it’s important for administrators to take an active approach to their school’s use of paras, and more detail about how to do so.

Teacher Teamwork Responsibilities

Transparency #12 . Lecture:

Teachers are responsible for providing support and guidance for the paraeducator within the more immediate environment. Their role in the team is as a supervisor and leader for the para. With a new para, teachers can improve the chances for a successful working relationship by providing a thorough orientation. Whereas an administrator’s orientation may focus more on school- and district-wide policies and procedures, the teacher’s orientation should focus more on information specific to his/her classroom. The teacher can supplement the school- or district-wide job description the para may have received from an administrator. The teacher can personalize the job description so it fits with the particular needs of that teacher and group of students.

There are many other ways that teachers can set paraeducators up for success. They can assess the para’s strengths and weaknesses, then use this information to improve teaching and to improve the para’s skills. This is done by capitalizing on the para’s strengths and providing on-the-job or other training to assist with weaknesses. When conducting on-the-job training, teachers will get better results when they use the same kinds of effective teaching techniques they use with students. Basic teaching steps to keep in mind include explanation of a skill, demonstration, practice, feedback, and coaching.

Paraeducators are also more effective in their jobs when they work with a teacher who conducts frequent, formal meetings with them. During these meetings, important information is shared – information about goals and objectives (for individual students and for the class), modifications to the curriculum, and tasks that are being delegated to the para. It’s a time to get feedback from the para about his/her perceptions of student progress and perceptions about their professional teamwork. Teacher who consider (and sometimes implement) input from a para about ways of improving student learning also tend to have happier, more effective paraeducators. Regular meetings simply provide a forum for the great deal of communication that needs to occur between the teacher and the paraeducator.

Finally, a teacher’s supervisory style can also have a big impact on a para’s job motivation. An appropriate amount and type of direction, monitoring, and feedback are very important, but difficult to balance. Evaluations should be fair, frequent, and should not neglect the importance of positive reinforcement. Paraeducators are much more effective if they’re provided with positive leadership in a personally and professionally supportive environment.

The skills needed to be able to fulfill these teamwork responsibilities are rarely taught in teacher education programs. It is largely assumed that teachers will learn these skills naturally, over the course of working with paras, but this is not necessarily true. More formal instruction is sometimes needed.


Paraeducator Teamwork Responsibilities


Finally, paras share some responsibility for how satisfied and effective they are as members of the instructional team. Paraeducators’ teamwork responsibilities center around performing assigned tasks with a positive, cooperative attitude and communicating effectively with the supervising teacher(s). If the supervising teacher does not initiate regular meetings with the para, the para can request this of the teacher. During the meetings, paras will benefit from seeking information from the teacher on topics such as:

- teacher goals and objectives for the class and individual students- how the teacher wants the curriculum content and instructional strategies to be modified to

meet the needs of individuals- what the para’s upcoming tasks will be - teacher feedback on the para’s job performance

During meetings with the supervising teacher, paras’ teamwork responsibilities also include sharing information with the teacher regarding things like:

- student progress or behavior that the para has observed - thoughts/concerns about the effectiveness of the instructional team and ideas for improving it

Handout #5 (p. 25) . This is a list of questions that might help paras in their meetings with supervising teachers. These points can be discussed at any point in the teacher-para relationship – at the beginning of the relationship, or later on, after they’ve been working together for some time.


LESSON 3: DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN TEACHER &PARAEDUCATOR INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Teacher Responsibilities

Exercise #1 (p. 29) :

o Divide participants into small groups of 5 or 6. If they work in different schools and/or programs, organize the groups so they include representatives from the different program areas and buildings. Ask the groups to work together to compile a list of daily, weekly, and periodic tasks performed by teachers in different programs or settings.

o Ask for a volunteer from one of the groups to read their list of tasks and record them on a chalkboard or flip chart. Ask for other groups to contribute duties that were not mentioned by the 1st group.

o Provide the following lecture regarding teacher responsibilities, making sure to refer back to the list you generated from participants’ ideas frequently – noting both similarities & differences.

Transparency #14, Handout #6 (p. 26) . Brief lecture:

The term "classroom teacher" no longer adequately defines the roles and responsibilities of teachers in today's schools. Teachers manage learning environments and programs. They participate in the development of standards for learner performance. They assist with curriculum development to meet these performance standards, and as members of school based management teams, they help to establish program priorities to meet the needs of students who have a wide array of learning styles, preferences and educational needs.

While many tasks performed in learning environments may be shared, there are some functions in the instructional process and the delivery of other direct services that are the responsibility of teachers and other school professionals. Distinctions in the roles of teachers and paraeducators must be clear and must be understood by all team members in order for them to work together as an effective unit. Regardless of whether they work in general, special, bilingual compensatory education or early childhood programs, teachers have primary responsibility for students’ education. This involves the following tasks:

1) Diagnosing students’ education and support needs, 2) Prescribing the programs to meet these needs:

a) developing instructional goals & objectivesb) preparing lesson plans for an entire class c) modifying strategies and curriculum content to meet the instructional objectives

established for individual students

(continued on next page)


(Transparency #15.)

3) Implementing instructional programs4) Evaluating program effectiveness and learner performance and mastery of skills and

knowledge.5) Involving parents in their children’s education6) Consulting with colleagues, as needed.

Paraeducator Responsibilities

Exercise: (no worksheet needed)

o Divide the participants into new groups of 5 or 6. Ask them to work together to compile a list of daily, weekly, and periodic tasks performed by paraeducators in different programs or settings.

o Ask for a volunteer from one of the groups to read their list of tasks and record them on a chalkboard or flip chart. Ask for other groups to contribute duties that were not mentioned by the 1st group.

o Provide the following lecture regarding paraeducator responsibilities, making sure to refer back to the list you generated from participants’ ideas frequently – noting both similarities & differences.

Handout #7 (p. 27) . Brief lecture:

Changes in the roles of teachers and other school professionals have had a profound impact on the nature of paraeducator roles and responsibilities. Paraeducators are now integral members of education and related service teams. Paraeducators’ primary responsibility is to provide educational assistance to the supervising teacher by performing the tasks assigned by the teacher. Paraeducators are typically asked to provide the following services, under the supervision of teachers or other licensed personnel:

(Transparency #16.)

1) Provide instructional supporta) Implement teacher-developed educational programs and lesson plansb) Assist individual students with supplementary academic workc) Assist in collecting and maintaining data about students’ behavior and progressd) Score teacher-developed objective tests and maintain appropriate recordse) Contribute information and/or attend IEP/IFSP or other staff meetings

(Transparency #17.)

2) Provide behavior management supporta) Implement teacher-developed behavior management programs in the classroomb) Supervise students and enforce school policies for student behavior in non-academic

settings (i.e., playground, lunchroom, and buses)


(Transparency #18.)

3) Provide clerical/technical support a) Prepare/duplicate materialsb) Set up and maintain adaptive equipment and learning centersc) Operate office or video equipment

(Transparency #19.)

4) Provide personal/health assistance to students with disabilitiesa) Assist with personal/hygienic careb) With the proper training, assist with special health care needs

5) Consult with others on the educational team. Paraeducators who work with students with disabilities often need to work with professionals from other disciplines who provide services to these students. Therefore, provided below is a brief description of the various education-related professionals who may be involved in a student’s care.

SPEECH/LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS (SLPs): Changes in education service delivery systems, increasing numbers of children and youth who need services for various communication disorders, and technological advances have resulted in an expanding scope of practice for the profession of speech/language pathology. SLPs are integral to the rehabilitation of students with traumatic brain injury and for students developing communication skills through augmentive/alternative communication systems. They work with students who are deaf or have hearing impairments, students with learning disabilities and language impairment as well as students with articulation problems. Students who receive SLP services are assigned to various programs including elementary, middle and secondary classrooms, special, bilingual and compensatory education, early childhood programs and transition services.

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS (PTs): Physical therapists teach skills in safely lifting and transferring students. They are experts in the use of assistive and supportive devices that improve mobility of students, as well as using exercises with and without equipment that improve muscle strength and the range of motion in joints that can assist in walking, sitting, feeding, writing, using a keyboard and other activities of daily living. In many cases, the students they work with are placed in general education classrooms and do not require assistance in academic programs. The work of PTs often precedes that of OTs and SLPs.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS (OTs): OTs are skilled in using the muscle strength and range of motion developed by physical therapists to adapt and teach activities of daily living. They determine adaptive equipment needs for individual students and identify classroom modifications that will facilitate inclusion of children and youth with disabilities into general education programs. It helps to improve the understanding of the roles of OTs by saying that people of different ages have different occupations. For example, the work of young children is play and the occupation of school age students is learning and acquiring other skills that will enable them to be active participants in the life of their school and community when they make the transition from school to work or post secondary education.

NURSES: School nurses provide specialized health/medical procedures that enable children and youth who are medically fragile, and who have physical and sensory disabilities who might otherwise be excluded from education programs, to attend and participate in learning activities. Some of the health/medical procedures performed by or supervised by nurses include, but are not limited to,


gastronomy and other feeding mechanisms, nebulizer treatments, catheterization, administering medications, training agency/school staff to follow universal precautions and more.

Transparency #20. It is critically important that paraeducators be aware of what is NOT within their domain. They are responsible for assisting the teacher, as requested, with the above-named tasks, but they are NOT to be put in a position of sole responsibility for an entire classroom, an entire educational program, or for performing certain types of assessments (e.g., subjective or essay tests, or standardized tests).

Exercise #1. Divide participants into small groups of 5 or 6.

o Ask them to read the scenarios provided and decide whether the task is appropriate or inappropriate for a paraeducator to perform.

o After they are finished, ask them to share their responses with the class. Be sure participants understand that it is OK to be unsure and that it may be OK for some of their responses to differ as a result of their experience, the teacher(s) they work with, and/or the guidelines established by the program they work for. However, it is ALWAYS the responsibility of the teacher to diagnose student needs and plan lessons and modifications.

CLOSING

In the future, refer back to the handouts in order to help yourselves remember the information that was presented in this unit. The main point is that paraeducators play a very important role in today’s schools, and that administrators, teachers, and paraeducators all have responsibility for the effectiveness of the paraeducator within the instructional team. Another important point is that teachers and paraeducators have specific duties associated with their roles and that they are ethically bound to stay within those roles.

Questions/comments?


UNIT HANDOUTS

Handout #1: Overview of sessionHandout #2: Overview of the paraeducator roleHandout #3: Competencies for Kentucky parareducators who work with students with

disabilitiesHandout #4: The administrator-teacher-paraeducator teamHandout #5: Questions a para might ask the supervising teacherHandout #6: Teacher instructional responsibilitiesHandout #7: Paraeducator instructional responsibilities


HANDOUT #1: OVERVIEW OF UNIT ONE

Lesson 1: Overview of the Paraeducator Role

A. Historical overview of the development of the paraeducator occupationB. Current definition & work settingsC. Benefits of having paraeducators involved in the instructional process


Lesson 3: Distinctions between the Teacher’s and Paraeducator’s Instructional Responsibilities

A. Teacher: Primary responsibility for student’s educationB. Paraeducator: Assisting the teacher with instructional tasks

Closing


HANDOUT #2: OVERVIEW OF THE PARAEDUCATOR ROLE

Paraeducators have been working in schools for more than 40 years. During this time, there have been many changes in education that have affected the kinds of jobs paraeducators do.

Today, paraeducators are more important than ever. Today, we have more students with disabilities, than ever before, who are participating in inclusive and community-based education programs. These students need appropriate support. Also, paraeducators are needed because of a shortage of teachers, and because of efforts to change the nature of teachers’ jobs.

“Para” means “along-side.” Paraeducators work “along-side” educators, or teachers. They are school employees who provide support services to students, under the guidance and supervision of a licensed teacher. They work in many different kinds of education-related settings.

They improve the educational process by helping the teacher to provide more individualized instruction, more intensive monitoring of students, and freeing the teacher to spend more time in planning. These improvements in the educational process lead to better student learning and behavior.


HANDOUT #3: Competencies for Kentucky Paraeducators who work with Students with Disabilities

Paraeducators will demonstrate the following competencies:

Standard 1.0General Knowledge and Values

A. Demonstrate an awareness of the legal rights of children and youth with exceptional learning needs and their parents in educational settings.

B. Demonstrate an understanding of individual learning styles and environmental factors that impact teaching and learning processes.

C. Demonstrate an understanding of the differences among the roles and responsibilities of professionals, paraprofessionals, and other support personnel.

D. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of special education processes, procedures, and regulations. E. Demonstrate an awareness of and respect for social, cultural, linguistic, religious, economic,

and ability differences in students and their families. F. Demonstrate an understanding of the similarities and differences among the cognitive,

communicative, physical, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of children and youth with and without exceptional learning needs.

G. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of Kentucky’s educational goals for all students.

Standard 2.0Maintaining Safe and Supportive Instructional Environments

A. Follow and use prescribed district or agency policies and procedures to ensure the safety, health, and general well being of learners and school personnel, including school emergency procedures.

B. Implement strategies and procedures developed by teachers to maintain safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.

C. Establish and maintain rapport with all learners. D. Model and encourage interactions among children, youth, and adults that respect and value

individual differences. E. Implement strategies that promote the learner's independence across all relevant educational

settings. F. Provide opportunities for individuals to make choices across settings and activities. G. Based on program and learner needs, assist teachers and related service professional in carrying

out tube feeding, catheterization, and other health related procedures required by learners who have special health care needs, and maintain appropriate records of these activities.


Standard 3.0Assisting with Instructional Practices

A. Under the guidance and supervision of a teacher, effectively implement learning strategies, prompting procedures, and other systematic instructional procedures in school and nonschool settings using a variety of instructional grouping arrangements.

B. Under the direction of a professional, use developmentally and age-appropriate strategies, equipment, materials, and technologies in a manner that facilitates student learning and accomplishes instructional goals.

C. Assist teachers and other professionals with adapting learning materials and equipment to meet the needs of individuals with different ability levels, learning styles, or language backgrounds.

D. Implement teacher-developed plans or strategies that enhance the fluency, maintenance, and generalization of academic skills.

E. Based on program and learner needs, assist teachers with community-based instruction. F. Perform routine clerical duties such as preparation of instructional classroom materials; setting

up student work areas; and operating office, video , computer, adaptive devices, and other materials.

Standard 4.0Assisting in Assessment and Evaluation Procedures

A. Assist teachers in monitoring student progress regarding academic performance, social development, and behavior. (For paraprofessionals working with early childhood populations, substitute cognitive development for academic performance).

B. Using various teacher-developed assessment tools, assist teachers in documenting information about learners' strengths, needs, and performance.

C. Under the direction of a professional educator, systematically collect observational and performance data of students with exceptional needs across various settings.

D. Assist teachers and other professionals in maintaining learner records required by district, agency, or state mandates.

Standard 5.0Managing Behaviors and Enhancing Social Interactions of Students

A. Use age-appropriate language, tone of voice, and reinforcement procedures. B. Implement teacher-developed behavior plans and techniques that adhere to the laws,

regulations, and procedural safeguards concerning the management of student behaviors. C. Demonstrate effective strategies for the management of student behaviors. D. Implement teacher-developed strategies and techniques that enhance social skill development

in children and youth. E. Assist teachers and other professionals in modifying the learning environment to manage

behavior. F. Facilitate the development of peer interactions and friendships for students with disabilities in

classroom, school, and community settings. G. Monitor and assist children and youth in non-academic learning environments (ie. lunchrooms,

study halls, playgrounds, and buses).

Standard 6.0Communicating and Collaborating with Teachers, Parents, and Other Professionals

A. Follow teacher instructions and implement team decisions. B. Interact effectively with and demonstrate respect for the views, rights, and contributions of

parents, teachers, and other school personnel. C. Contribute relevant, objective information to teachers and other school professionals to

facilitate planning, problem solving, and decision-making processes across all relevant settings.


D. Participate as a member of an instructional team (which may include special and general educators, related service staff, family members, and students) to plan and organize learning experiences for students.

E. Participate in team meetings to assist in the development of Individual Education and Transition Plans (IEPs/ITPs) for students aged 3-21 who have disabilities or Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs) for children aged 0-3 and their parents.

Standard 7.0 Participating in Professional and Ethical Practices

A. Maintain confidentiality of individual students and their families. B. Perform assigned responsibilities under the supervision of teachers in a manner consistent

with professional and ethical guidelines established by the district, agency, state, or professional organization.

C. Assist teachers and other professionals in protecting the civil, legal, and human rights of children, youth, and their parents.

D. Perform tasks that are within an appropriate range of responsibilities for paraprofessionals. E. Participate in on-going staff development and self-evaluation activities, and apply constructive

feedback to practices within the educational setting. F. Participate with administrators, consultants, and/or other professionals in designing and

implementing comprehensive professional development activities for paraprofessionals.

Standard 8.0Community-Based Job Coach

A. Assist students in acquiring work-related behaviors, job pursuing skills, and job specific skills needed at school or community work sites.

B. Under the direction of a professional educator, effectively implement individually designed community-based vocational programs.

C. Transport students on and off school grounds, in conformance with local district and state educational agency transportation policies.

D. Provide instruction and support in the following skill areas: leisure/recreation, social development, self-determination, community mobility, and independent living.

E. Facilitate and support student involvement in decision-making. F. Implement vocational training experiences that sample the range of available job experiences

and enhance opportunities for post-school employment, and that are consistent with the Department of Labor regulations.

G. Identify and develop accommodations and natural supports in the work environment for students.

H. Negotiate with employers vocational, evaluation, and training sites that sample the range of available job experiences.

I. Under the direction of a professional educator, utilize transition related assessment strategies and provide instructional teams with relevant information regarding the development of transition-related goals and objectives.

J. Access needed information on community resources available to transitioning students with disabilities and their families.


HANDOUT #4: IMPORTANCE OF ADMINISTRATOR-TEACHER-PARAEDUCATOR TEAMWORK

Paraeducator knowledge & skills + Supportive working environment =Satisfied, effective paraeducator & improved student learning

Teamwork is required for paraeducators to be as effective as possible Administrators’ Teamwork Responsibilities:

o Support & guidance for the paraeducator role at the school and district level

o Conduct Needs Assessmentso Hire & train employees based on Needs Assessmentso Provide a job orientation, including a written job description,

introductions to key personnel, & a handbook with school policy information

o Set & enforce “best practice” guidelines for teacher supervision of paraeducators

o Evaluate teachers’ supervision of paras Teachers’ Teamwork Responsibilities

o Classroom-level supervision of paraeducatorso Provide a personalized job orientationo Assess & address paras’ strengths & weaknesseso Use effective teaching techniques during on-the-job trainingo Conduct frequent, formal meetings with the para

Paraeducators’ Teamwork Responsibilitieso Take an active role in your successo Show a positive, cooperative attitude about assigned taskso Seek out training and supervision in conducting new taskso Participate in frequent meetings with the supervising teachero Seek information about students and instructiono Provide the teacher with information about students


HANDOUT #5: QUESTIONS FOR A PARA TO ASK A SUPERVISING TEACHER

Below is a list of questions that you might want to ask your supervising teacher(s), with regard to issues within your specific school or classroom. Discussing these issues can help orient you to the paraeducator role, if it is a new position for you. If you are an experienced paraeducator, discussing these questions with your teacher may help to make your specific roles and responsibilities more clear.

1. What are my special and regular duties?2. What are my hours?3. What records am I responsible for keeping?4. What schedules am I responsible for following?5. What emergency procedures do I need to know?6. What are the most important playground regulations?7. For what lunchtime duties will I be responsible?8. Where are the supplies kept, and how do I get them?9. What equipment is available for me to use?10. What is the chain of command that I am supposed to follow?11. If I am responsible for working with more than one teacher, how will I divide my

time?12. What student records are available to me?13. Who do I talk to if I have questions about school policy?14. With whom should I discuss a problem concerning relationships with teachers, other

paraeducators, or students?15. What should my response be when a parent asks me a question about their child’s

performance in the classroom?16. What am I supposed to do about disciplining students?17. What do I do if I notice unusual bruises and scars on a child?18. What should I do when I see students fighting or physically acting out?19. What should I do if I see a weapon?20. When are the planning meetings that I will need to attend?21. Where is my “Spot”?22. What will I be expected to do that was not on my job description?


HANDOUT #6: TEACHER INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Teachers’ jobs have changed a lot in recent years. They’re now involved in many different aspects of school management and the design of educational materials. However, their main responsibility is for their students’ education. This involves several tasks:

1) Diagnosing student education & support needs

2) Deciding what programs will meet those needs

a) Developing instructional goals & objectivesb) Preparing classroom-wide lesson plansc) Modifying strategies & curriculum to meet individuals’

needs

3) Implementing instructional programs

4) Evaluating program effectiveness & student performance

5) Involving parents in their children’s education

6) Consulting with colleagues as needed


HANDOUT #7: PARAEDUCATOR INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY:

Perform the tasks asked of you by your supervising teacher(s), with his/her guidance & supervision.

This may include any of the following types of tasks:

Instructional Taskso Helping to implement teacher-developed educational programso Assisting individual students with supplementary academic worko Assisting with collecting & maintaining data about students’

progresso Scoring teacher-developed objective tests & maintaining appropriate

recordso Contributing information and/or attending IEP/IFSP or other staff

meetings Behavior Management Tasks

o Helping to implement teacher-developed programs in the classroomo Supervising students in non-academic settings

Clerical/Technical Taskso Preparing/duplicating materialso Setting up & maintaining adaptive equipment & learning centerso Operating office or video equipment

Personal/Health Taskso Assisting with personal/hygienic careo Assist with special health care needs


UNIT EXERCISES

Exercise #1: Distinguishing appropriate tasks for paraeducators


EXERCISE #1: DISTINGUISHING APPROPRIATE TASKS FOR PARAEDUCATORS

Below are descriptions of some situations an instructional team might encounter in their day to day work, regardless of whether they are assigned to work in general, special, ESL/bilingual, or Title 1 programs.

DIRECTIONS: Read each scenario, then circle Appropriate if you think the activity/function is an

appropriate duty/role for a paraeducator, Inappropriate if you think it is inappropriate, or Unsure if you are unsure. Briefly describe why you responded the way you did and be prepared to discuss your reasons with other participants.

1.) The paraeducator has been employed by the school district because the number of Korean students enrolled in the school system is increasing. She was selected because she speaks Korean, lives in the community, and understands the cultural heritage of the students. She is assigned to several teachers. Two of the teachers have asked her to participate in meetings with parents. The district’s job description for paraeducators does not mention the role of paraeducators in working with or communicating with parents.

Appropriate Inappropriate Unsure

Reason:

2.) Peggy, a student with physical and developmental disabilities, has been integrated into general math and social studies classes. Her IEP calls for the paraeducator to accompany and stay with her in case she needs assistance. The math teacher asks the paraeducator to run off worksheets for the entire class.


Reason:


EXERCISE #1(cont.): DISTINGUISHING APPROPRIATE TASKS FOR PARAEDUCATORS

3.) It is 1:00 in the afternoon and the teacher has become ill. Both the paraeducator and the principal know she needs to go home immediately. The principal asks the paraeducator to take charge of the class for the rest of the afternoon.


Reason:

4.) It is the end of the year and the teacher has scored the final exams and completed the annual reviews of student performance. She asks the paraeducator to enter them into the individual students’ master files.


Reason:

5.) There are several students in the class who have different learning styles and preferences. The teacher asks the paraeducator to work with them individually and in small groups. He describes the teaching strategies and the instructional materials he wants the paraeducator to use with the individual students. As the paraeducator begins to work with the students, she discovers that the instructional strategies suggested by the teacher are not effective methods for working with some of the students. She decides to use some ideas and suggestions she has heard about from other paraeducators. She also brings in books and other resources she has used with her own children.


Reason:

6.) The teacher and paraeducator have worked together for several years. The teacher knows that the paraeducator has extraordinary musical talents. She asks the paraeducator to decide what the class should do for the Spring Music Festival and then to rehearse them.


Reason:


UNIT TRANSPARENCIES

Transparency #1: Program title pageTransparency #2: Module OverviewTransparency #3: Instructional objectives for training sessionTransparency #4: Unit OverviewTransparency #5: Overview of the Paraeducator Role – Reasons for increased need of paraeducatorsTransparency #6: Overview of the Paraeducator Role – Definition of paraeducatorTransparency #7: Overview of the Paraeducator Role – Paraeducator work settingsTransparency #8: Overview of the Paraeducator Role –

Impact of paraeducators on educational programsTransparency #9: Overview of the Paraeducator Role –

Benefits of paraeducator involvement in educationTransparency #10: The Administrator-Teacher-Paraeducator Team –

All have responsibilities for paraeducator successTransparency #11: The Administrator-Teacher-Paraeducator Team –

Administrator teamwork responsibilitiesTransparency #12: The Administrator-Teacher-Paraeducator Team –

Teacher teamwork responsibilitiesTransparency #13: The Administrator-Teacher-Paraeducator Team –

Paraeducator teamwork responsibilitiesTransparency #14: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Teachers’ responsibilitiesTransparency #15: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Teachers’ responsibilities (cont.)Transparency #16: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Paraeducator ResponsibilitiesTransparency #17: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Paraeducator Responsibilities Transparency #18: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Paraeducator Responsibilities Transparency #19: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Paraeducator Responsibilities Transparency #20: Distinctions in Instructional Responsibilities – Paraeducator Responsibilities

UNIT OVERVIEW

This instructional module addresses the following Paraeducator Competencies validated for the state of Kentucky:

Standard 2.0 Maintaining Safe & Supportive Environments (D)Standard 6.0 Communicating and Collaborating with Parents and Colleagues (B-E)Standard 7.0 Participating in Professional and Ethical Practices (E, F)


Paraeducators will:

1) Understand the importance of interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills for both students and adults.

2) Describe the various communication and teamwork skills taught in this unit.

3) Assess their own skills in these areas and set goals for improvement.

4) Make progress towards personal goal(s) by demonstrating improved interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills.

TIME REQUIRED

The time required to complete this unit will depend on the number of activities selected by the trainer. The recommended time is a minimum of three hours.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIAL NEEDED

An overhead projector and screen. Or, if you prefer, you can write the content of the overhead transparencies on a flipchart or chalkboard.

Copies of the Information Handouts, Exercises, and Overhead Transparencies from this unit.


Review Unit Overview, Session Agenda, Handouts, Transparencies, and Exercises provided. Text that is found in italics in the Session Agenda represents instructions directed toward the trainer; all remaining text is information to be conveyed directly to those attending the training.

Gather any additional resources you may know about that are designed to enhance communication, social, and/or problem-solving skills.

After reviewing all available materials, determine the breadth and depth of coverage that will best meet the needs of the paraeducators in your region or district and that will fit within your time constraints.

MODULE 1, UNIT 2COMMUNICATION and TEAMWORK SKILLS


Introduction

A. Definition of teamwork skills: interpersonal, problem-solving, & communication skillsB. Importance of effective communication and teamwork skills for success in

school/workplace C. Instructional objectives for the training sessionD. Overview of session content

Lesson 1: Interpersonal Skills

A. Definition: skills that help us get along with others (conversations, expressing feelings, etc.); distinct from personality or social “style”

B. Hierarchy of skills – some are more difficult than othersC. Appreciating Diversity

1. Different abilities2. Different value systems3. Different learning styles

D. Self-assessment of interpersonal skills

Lesson 2: Problem-Solving Skills

A. Conflict is normal but requires skills for managingB. Self-assessment: How do you respond to conflict?C. Five-step problem-solving process

1. Identify & describe problem2. Define & determine the causes of the problem3. Decide on a goal & identify alternate solutions4. Select a course of action5. Implement & evaluate the solution

D. Practicing problem-solving skills through role-plays

Lesson 3: General Communication Skills

A. Definition: an important aspect of interpersonal skills; various ways we send & receive messages with others; communication skills needed for making & maintaining good relationships with others

B. Three general categories of communication1. Non-assertive/passive2. Aggressive3. Positive/assertive

C. Sending clear messages by using “I Messages”D. Being receptive to hearing others’ messages – “Active Listening” skills

1. Keep an open mind2. Concentrate3. Become involved

E. Dealing with strong emotions1. Strong feelings are OK, but they can get in the way of handling a situation

appropriately


2. Small-group discussions about situations when they’ve been very emotional & things they do to keep themselves calm (coping strategies)

Lesson 4: Communication Skills for Paraeducators

A. Importance of communication and teamwork in educationB. Developing good working relationships with team members

1. Learn basic info about the teachera. Teaching styleb. Use of teaching materialsc. Supervisory styled. Behavior management strategies

2. Get to know the other team members3. Develop rapport, trust, & respect with teachers

a. Meet regularlyb. Be open to sharing & hearing attitudes/feelings about workc. Understand directions & expectationsd. Be open to diversitye. Develop a shared vocabularyf. Develop shared non-verbal cuesg. Work at maintaining a positive climate

C. Communicating with students1. Problematic communication 2. Positive communication

a. Active listeningb. Helpful non-verbal behaviorc. Conveying acceptanced. Other tips

3. Talking with students about individual differences4. Teaching students effective interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication

skillsa. Showing, telling, and reinforcingb. Benefits of this for kids include increased self-esteem, increased openness

to learning, and improved interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills

Closing: Reiterate importance of communication and teamwork skills for job success/life satisfaction; encourage continued work to enhance one’s these skills. Address questions/comments.


SESSION AGENDA

INTRODUCTION


As the roles of teachers and paraeducators have expanded and become more complex and challenging, their need for effective communication and teamwork skills has also increased. Good “teamwork” skills consist of interpersonal skills (relating well to others), problem-solving skills (resolving conflicts appropriately), and communication skills (being able to share ideas effectively with others). These skills do not necessarily develop automatically as part of the aging process. They must be learned, practiced, and nurtured. Thus, the activities and content in this unit were designed to provide information on these skills and opportunities for practice, which can lead to working more effectively with other team members, children and youth, and their families.

Good teamwork skills enable instructional teams to establish and maintain open lines of communication and build consensus, mutual trust, and respect between team members. Achieving these goals can help reduce misunderstandings when teachers must make decisions that paraeducators may not fully appreciate or agree with.

Paraeducators assist and work alongside their professional colleagues in schools and other agencies delivering education and related human services. They are frontline representatives of the school as they train students in a broad range of community-based learning environments. And finally, but of the utmost importance, are the relationships they have with the students they come into contact with daily.

Transparency #2 . Describe the following instructional objectives for the session.The various activities in this unit are designed to meet the following four goals:

(1) To help paraeducators understand the importance of communication and teamwork skills for their job success

(2) To provide information about communication & teamwork skills(3) To help paras assess their own current level of interpersonal, problem-solving, and

communication skills(4) To encourage you to set goals for improving your communication and teamwork skills &

possibly even make progress toward those goals within this session.

We’ll use lectures, role-plays, brainstorming, small-group discussions, and other exercises to try to accomplish these goals. You are encouraged to take notes during the session, especially during lecture material. Some of this material will be provided to you in the form of handouts, but the handouts only summarize main points. Taking notes will help you remember the material in more detail.


Transparency #3 , Handout #1 (p. 25). Give the following overview of the session content.This is a broad overview of the topics that are covered in this training unit:

Introduction (which we’re finishing right now)


A. DefinitionB. Hierarchy of skills C. Appreciating DiversityD. Self-assessment of interpersonal skills


A. Conflict is normal but requires skills for managingB. Self-assessment: How do you respond to conflict?C. Five-step problem-solving process D. Practicing problem-solving skills through role-plays


A. DefinitionB. Three general categories of communicationC. Sending clear messages by using “I Messages”D. Being receptive to hearing others’ messages – “Active Listening” skillsE. Controlling strong emotions


A. Importance of communication and teamwork in educationB. Developing good working relationships with team membersC. Communicating with students

Closing


LESSON 1: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Overview & Hierarchy of Interpersonal Skills

Transparency #4 . Brief Lecture:

Interpersonal, or social, skills include a range of skills concerned with getting along with others. They include things like introducing yourself, starting a conversation with another person, giving compliments, and expressing emotions appropriately. Interpersonal skills differ in terms of how complex they are. People generally learn the simpler interpersonal skills prior to mastering more difficult or demanding interpersonal skills. (Handout #2 (p. 26).) Handout #2 provides a hierarchy of interpersonal skills – that is, a listing of the major social or interpersonal skills and how difficult they are in comparison to one another.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think some interpersonal skills are more difficult than others?

(Answer should include the idea that some skills are more complicated and/or abstract than others – require more developed thinking skills to master)

2. How might this hierarchy of interpersonal skills help you in your thinking about yourself or others (students and/or adults)?

(Answer should include the idea that it is helpful to think of a person’s interpersonal or social skills as falling somewhere along a range, or continuum, of skill development [e.g., “He’s good at following directions, but he struggles with expressing his feelings to others”]. This is opposed to thinking in all-or-nothing terms [e.g., “He has no social skills.”])

Brief Lecture:

One important point to make about interpersonal “skills” is that it is different from the concept of social or interpersonal “style.” Social style refers to someone’s basic personality – for example, a person may have always tended to be fairly outgoing, optimistic, and to have a good sense of humor. Other people have social “styles” that involve being more quiet and reserved. In fact, there are lots of different types of social styles, and this represents a type of diversity that should be respected and valued in people. Social or interpersonal “skills,” on the other hand, are ways of interacting with others that clearly lead to more effective relationships with others. Skills are things that all people can learn, regardless of their personality, or natural social style.

Appreciating Diversity

Transparency # 5, Handout #3 (p. 27). Introductory Lecture:

One aspect of interpersonal skills, or knowing how to get along with others, has to do with how we view and treat people who are different from us. Today’s public schools are made up of a diverse group of people. Students and staff are different from each other in many ways: age, gender, ethnicity, economic background, religion, lifestyle, values, etc. School personnel are expected to have an attitude


of acceptance and appreciation of diversity. This is because it has become well recognized that it is important for students’ healthy development that they be aware of and proud of their own unique identities. In order for this to happen, they need to be around adults who model a positive attitude toward diversity. In addition, paraeducators who take an active interest in understanding the ways their students are different will be better able to understand those students’ behavior and, thus, interact with them in ways that will help them learn.

Having a positive attitude toward diversity means not ignoring differences and not holding negative attitudes about differences. Negative attitudes can be expressed in many ways, two of which are stereotyping and labeling. Stereotyping is assuming that all people within a group are the same in some way. Examples of stereotypes are things like “blondes have more fun,” or “all fat people have a great sense of humor,” or “people with mental retardation cannot learn.” Not only are stereotypes incorrect, they are also harmful. Another way prejudices are perpetuated is through labeling, which means referring to an individual by some characteristic (e.g., “the retarded,” “the disabled”), instead of referring to the person first, then to the disability (i.e., “Person First Language” – for example, “person with a disability”). Watch for stereotyping or labeling in the way you think and talk about people who are different from you, and work at correcting it.

Different Abilities

One way people are different is that they have different physical, mental, and academic abilities. People with significant problems in these domains are said to have “disabilities.” There are a number of negative attitudes toward people with disabilities that are prevalent in our society. These may include ideas that people with disabilities are:

Emotionally unstable Not as competent as other students Unmotivated Less sociable than other students Non-assertive Less likeable than other students Unhappy Less sensitive than typical students

Individual students do have some of these problems, but that is true regardless of whether they have a disability. Furthermore, just knowing that a student has a disability is not enough information to know whether they also have any of these additional sorts of problems. In other words, don’t slip into the trap of stereotyping students with disabilities. Like all students, they are unique, and we should take the time to get to know each one before coming to any conclusions about them.

Students with disabilities are people first. They have the same general needs for physical, emotional, social, and intellectual nurturing as do non-disabled students. There are several tips for helping paraeducators treat students with disabilities with respect. The first tip is: whenever possible, treat the person with a disability as you would anyone else. For example, consider how you would introduce Jane Smith, who doesn’t have a disability. You would give her name, where she lives, what she does or what she is interested in -- such as, she likes swimming, or eating Mexican food, or watching Robert Redford movies. Why should you do it any differently for a person with disabilities?

Other ways of treating a person with a disability as similar to others as possible is to remember that independence and autonomy are important. Allow the person choices whenever possible, and allow him or her to do and speak for him/herself as much as possible. Emphasize abilities, not limitations.


Seek to develop with them the same types of warm, friendly relationships you seek with other students. However, remember not to give excessive praise or attention, as this is patronizing. Use the same system of fair guidance and discipline with students with disabilities as you use with students without disabilities. Finally, as you would with all students, encourage students with disabilities to participate to the maximum degree possible in activities with their peers without disabilities.

Another way to be respectful is to use “Person First Language” and to use the most current, preferred terminology to describe disabilities. Here is a short list of some of the preferred terms, and their less desirable counterparts.

DO DON’T“She has cerebral palsy.” “She has C.P.” or “She is spastic.” “He is deaf and communicates “He is deaf and dumb.”

in sign language.” “She uses a wheelchair.” “She is confined to a wheelchair.” “He has seizures.” “He has fits.” “He has a learning disability.” “He is learning disabled.”“He has autism.” “He is autistic.”

Different Value Systems

Another way that people differ from one another is in terms of the value systems they develop.

Group Discussion/Example: Take a moment to think about your values – the ideas or principles that you hold to be most important. Pick out one of your most important values. (Call on someone to share with the group one of their most important values. Ask the group to imagine they all hold this value but have to deal with a student who does not appear to share this value.)

o Discussion questions might include:

What is the appropriate, or professional, way of interacting with this student, or dealing with him/her on the issue?

How will you FEEL, interacting with this student?

How can you keep your feelings from interfering with behaving professionally with this student?

Follow-up lecture:

Values are developed over the course of a lifetime and they come from a variety of different sources. We may learn them from parents, religious affiliations, school, friends, reading materials, or a host of other sources. However they are learned, they become a part of us and are important to each of us in our own way.

Recognizing the values of others is an important piece of recognizing the individuality of each person. In order to do so, you must be aware that the value system of another person is uniquely that person’s; attempts to ignore it or to make changes will probably meet with failure.

Different Learning Styles


Lecture:

In the past, when people were not as aware of diversity issues, a “one size fits all approach” was used in education. People felt that curriculum content and teaching strategies could be applied equally to all students. Now, we know more about the ways in which students are different and the importance of matching teaching style to their learning styles. Be aware that it is appropriate to use different techniques with different students. Paraeducators can talk with their supervising teacher(s) to learn more about the different learning styles of the students you are (or will be) working with.

Also, keep in mind that we all use adaptations or accommodations in our environment in order to function better, so it is OK to also facilitate students’ learning by helping them use whatever adaptations or accommodations are necessary. Examples of accommodations are: a small, hand-held calculator used to assist those who have trouble with numbers; Braille books to assist those who do not see; dictionaries to assist those who do not speak English well; eye-glasses for those who do not see well; and widened doorways to assist those who use wheelchairs.

Self-Assessment of Interpersonal Skills

Distribute Exercise #1 (p. 38). This is not a test, but is designed to enable you to identify social and communication skills you would like to improve. Read the instructions, then work alone on the questionnaire until you are finished. After everyone has finished, lead a discussion using the following discussion questions.


1. Which of these skills do you think are most important for how you perform your

job, and why?

(No “ correct” answer)

2. Which of these skills are most important to the children and youth you work with in order to help them develop effective relationships with their peers and adults and to achieve greater independence?

(No “ correct” answer)


LESSON 2: PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Conflicts with Staff: A normal aspect of work life, requiring skills to manage

Brief introductory lecture:

Inevitably when people work together, they have different ideas of how things should be done. Furthermore, many times, because of the pressures of other duties, education teams may ignore or postpone dealing with a problem that involves disagreements or conflicts with the other adults with whom they work. In many cases, this may accentuate differences among individuals involved in planning and implementing education and related services. It is important that people have effective ways of dealing with different perspectives and personalities when involved in a potentially conflicting situation, and that they use these techniques to resolve conflicts in a timely manner.

Self-Assessment: How do you respond to conflict?

Exercise #2 (p. 40) . Read the instructions and work alone to fill out this questionnaire. After they’re done: Keep in mind the strategies that you might want to work on, as we go through the material in the rest of this unit (and the rest of this lesson, in particular). See if you get ideas for how and why it might be important to change strategies that cause problems for you.

Five-Step Problem-Solving Process

Handout #4 (p. 28) , Transparency #6.

Finding mutually acceptable solutions to problems is not always easy, but the following steps may help paraeducators in this process. While this approach to problem-solving is based on people working together to achieve consensus, there are in fact times when it is necessary for teachers and other supervisors to make decisions that paraeducators may not fully appreciate or agree with. However, by maintaining open lines of communication and mutual trust, these problems should be few and far between.

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM

A situation must be clearly understood. If concerns and issues cannot be stated clearly, it is impossible to choose a course of action that will lead to a satisfactory solution. Everyone involved in a situation should describe the problem in their own words and from their own point of view. This may be done by asking and answering these questions: “What is the problem?” “Who is involved?” “Who is affected?” “How are they affected?”

STEP TWO: DEFINE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM

It is not enough to identify the problem. It is essential to determine what has created the problem and causes it to persist. For example, the problem may be caused by “outside conditions” (contractual agreements, a lack of financial resources) that an instructional team may have little ability to change, or it may have its roots in a lack of understanding of the


distinction between the roles and duties of teachers, other professional personnel, and paraeducators. Other factors that may influence how a problem is defined may include differences in values and attitudes, age, work experience and education, cultural heritage, or religious beliefs. Still other concerns may be connected with the move to restructure education systems and procedures, efforts to provide education services in community based and learning environments, and the need to involve parents and other caregivers in all aspects of their child’s education. It is important that the real problem is separated from surface events and that areas of agreement and disagreement be identified.

STEP THREE: DECIDE ON A GOAL AND IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

Once the problem has been identified, then strategies can be developed. The primary question that needs to be asked and answered is, “What do we want to achieve and how can we go about achieving it?” Team members should work together and brainstorm a list of alternative solutions to the problem. They should then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each potential solution. This process will enable the group to determine what additional information, physical or human resources, skills or knowledge they will need to carry out the solution and whether or not these resources are essential to achieving the goal.

STEP FOUR: SELECT A COURSE OF ACTION

Next, the participants should weigh the “pro’s” and “con’s” of each solution and decide on the course of action that seems most beneficial -- that which will most likely achieve the desired results, with the least possible “cost.”

STEP FIVE: IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE SOLUTION

Agreeing on a solution is not enough. The participants must try it out and test it to see if it will work. They must also give it enough time to see if the solution will work since behaviors and new skills cannot be changed overnight. If it doesn’t work, the group must decide the step at which they should resume their problem solving work. For example, perhaps they didn’t define their problem most appropriately the first time they worked through the process. In this case, they should go back to Step One and begin again. Or, perhaps some of the causes of the problem were inaccurate, in which case they should go back to Step Two.

Practicing Problem-Solving Skills through Role-Plays

Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5. Distribute 1 of the 9 “Situations” from Exercise #3 (p. 41) and the associated Worksheet (found at the back) to each group. Assign one of the role-plays to each group.

Use the 5-step method for problem-solving to identify problems and develop solutions for the scenario you’ve been assigned. Write them down on the Worksheet provided.

(When finished…) Prepare a script that incorporates the problems and solutions and be prepared to role-play it for the class. The Worksheet you filled out should serve as a guide for identifying the problems confronting the people in the situation and preparing a script.


Have each group present its role-play. After each one, lead a discussion with all participants about their reactions to the problem-solving methods used by the participants and the solutions chosen.


LESSON 3: GENERAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Brief Introductory Lecture:

Each of us has our own unique style of communicating with others. We convey ideas and information, demonstrate competence, and provide support orally, in writing, and through sign language. We communicate respect or lack of it through body language and facial expressions. Effective communication is an integral part of the social interaction skills we require to make and keep friends, cope with stress, share feelings, and maintain control over our environment.

Transparency #7. Effective communication involves clearly stated messages about emotions and ideas and accurately received messages. Being able to send and receive messages accurately helps us to be comfortable with other people and to let other people know that we are interested in them, respect their ideas, and care about them. In contrast, miscommunications often lead to disagreements with our families, friends, the children and youth we work with, our colleagues and other people with whom we come into contact daily.

Three Categories of Communication Behavior (Continue to use Transparency #7.) Handout #5 (p. 29). Brief Lecture:

Typically, the communication skills used by most people fall into one of three basic categories:

1. NON-ASSERTIVE (PASSIVE) BEHAVIOR: Acting non-assertively is an ineffective way of communicating. Individuals who are generally non-assertive have difficulty expressing opinions, beliefs and feelings. They do not stand up for their legitimate rights and may feel as though they are being taken advantage of by others. People who do not share their insights, feelings, and thoughts frequently withhold valuable information from others, thus preventing change and hindering the growth of relationships.

2. AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR: Acting aggressively is another ineffective way of communicating. People who respond aggressively violate the rights of others. Moreover, they do not respect the feelings and contributions of others. They frequently try to “score points” by yelling, being sarcastic, using the put-down, and humiliating others. People who demonstrate aggressive behaviors also try to impose their attitudes and values on others and, in many cases, criticize a person rather than actions. Many people confuse assertion and aggression. It is important to recognize the differences and learn to be assertive rather than aggressive.

3. POSITIVE/ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOR: Assertive behavior allows individuals to stand up for their legitimate rights. It involves the ability to express thoughts and feelings in an honest, straightforward fashion that shows respect for others. Being assertive does not mean using the same style all the time. At times, assertive individuals may state their opinion in a very direct manner, using a neutral tone of voice. At other times, assertive people may use humor, or use special knowledge and serve as an expert. People who have assertive skills are able to monitor and choose the behaviors they will be able to use comfortably in a particular situation. People who express themselves more assertively tend to feel more satisfied with their communication and are more


likely to get what they want than people who rely more on passive or aggressive communication.

Sending Clear Messages

Transparency #8 , Handout #6 (p. 30). Review the handout together with participants:

One way to be more assertive is to use “I Messages”. “I Messages” are tools children, youth, and adults can use to express feelings appropriately. They can also be used to discuss controversial issues. Often when we want to let another person know what we are feeling and thinking, we let our emotions get in the way and we attack the other person. Hartwig and Meredith, in their book Seven Steps for Teaching Students to Get on Top of Their Problems, have identified three negative side effects when we start a conversation with “you make me so angry when _________”, or “you are not being fair when _________”. They are:

1. The speaker is denying responsibility for the feeling

2. The speaker is giving control of his/her feelings to someone else

3. “You make” statements that express negative emotions can elicit anger, resistance, and other negative responses from the other person.

An “I Message” has three parts: the feeling, the situation, and the reason. It is stated like this:“I feel (state the feeling – e.g., happy, angry, sad, embarrassed) when (state what has

happened/the situation) because (state the reason).”

Ask the entire class to brainstorm a list of “feeling words.” Make sure a wide range of emotions is represented on the list.

Exercise #4 (p. 52) . Ask participants to read the instructions and work alone to complete the activity. When they’re finished, lead a discussion about “I Messages” by having the group read aloud select examples of their answers and discuss them.

Listening Skills

Transparency #9 , Handout #7 (p. 31). Give the following lecture:

A very important element of effective communication is being receptive to other people – being open and interested and able to clearly understand the messages others want to send to you. Being receptive to others is often called “active listening” and it has three main components: keeping an open mind, concentrating, and becoming involved. Active listening is generally an under-recognized and under-developed skill. The following suggestions may help you improve your active listening skills:

1. KEEP AN OPEN MIND: Try to prevent your own thoughts and ideas from distorting what you hear. These thoughts can include personal biases/prejudices about the other person, preconceived notions about the situation or the circumstances, and/or our own individual value system. Be willing to listen to new ideas, to pay attention, and to look for the speaker’s meaning.


2. CONCENTRATE: Try to blot out environmental factors that may serve as distractions (e.g., noise, temperature, uncomfortable seats, poor lighting, etc.). Follow the thread of ideas and be alert for transitions from one thought to another. Also try not to let your own emotional state (e.g., stress/anger over another situation) distract you from paying full attention to the current conversation.

3. BECOME INVOLVED: Ask questions to clarify what is being said. Maintain a mental running summary, and occasionally paraphrase this to the speaker to confirm you are receiving the message accurately. Encourage the speaker by looking at him or her. Try to add information to what the speaker says or fill in gaps in his/her message.

Dealing with Strong Emotions

Introduce this topic with a simple statement such as:

Experiencing strong emotions is OK; we all have strong feelings from time to time. However, they can get in the way of effective social interactions. We’re going to talk a little bit about how intense feelings interfere with social interactions and what we can do to prevent this from happening.

Divide participants into groups of four and distribute Exercise #5 (p. 53). Ask them to think about and discuss the first three questions listed on the sheet:

1. What happens to you when you try to make decisions or choices when you’re feeling strong emotions (fear, anger, excitement, joy, sadness)?

2. For example, how do you feel when you are left out of a social event, or are excluded from a meeting or decision-making, at work or somewhere else? How do you feel when you are included? How do you react in these different situations?

3. Now consider these same questions in relation to students who also experience strong emotions but probably have fewer skills to manage and share their feelings with others.

Have the small groups share a summary of their responses with the entire group. Then, ask participants to remain in their small groups to think about and answer the following discussion questions:

4. What strategies do you use to remain calm when you’re feeling strong emotions?

5. Brainstorm a list of ideas you could share with students that might enable them to stay calm, relieve tension, “cool down,” or “chill out.” Think about what strategies might be most appropriate for different ages (e.g., preschool, elementary, middle, or high school) and different sites (e.g., lunchroom, classroom, home).

Have the small groups share summaries of their suggestions with the entire class. List them on the chalkboard or overhead so participants can take notes about ideas they may want to discuss with the teacher in their classroom.


LESSON 4: COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR PARAEDUCATORS

Importance of Communication & Teamwork in Education

Transparency #10 . Introductory Lecture:

The communication techniques described so far are general skills that could be used to help anyone communicate more effectively. The focus of this next lesson is on specific communication issues that paraeducators need to be aware of.

Communicating effectively is the cornerstone of education. Without effective communication, ideas, directions, and thoughts are lost or misunderstood. In education, this can have serious repercussions. Students may not understand lecture material, paraeducators may not understand directions given to them; and teachers may not understand that a gap in communication is forming. In order to be understood in the manner in which we intend, we must learn to communicate effectively.

The goal of utilizing a paraeducator in a classroom is to improve instruction in the classroom. Paraeducators play a valuable role in assisting teachers, and most teachers welcome the help that paraeducators can provide. Paraeducators are part of a team, and a valuable part of the school staff. Working in a team situation requires frequent and open communication between the teacher and the paraeducator. The teacher needs to be able to communicate responsibilities and roles effectively by supervising. In turn, the paraeducator needs to be able to communicate information to the teacher regarding his or her experiences with students. The more communication skills that you can bring to the classroom, the more valuable you will be.

The paraeducator should assist the teacher in implementing instruction and following school policies. The paraeducator should also recognize the position of leadership between the paraeducator and the students, as well as between the teacher and the paraeducator. Although it is important to work toward a positive, cooperative relationship between the para and the teacher, the teacher has more training and should be respected as the leader or supervisor of the classroom. While paraeducators may be asked to provide input on decisions, they must accept decisions that teachers are required to make. It is necessary that paraeducators and teachers learn to get along with each other if they are going to work effectively as a team.

Developing Relationships with Team Members

Paraeducators who are committed to working as a team should demonstrate respect and good will toward their team members. The following suggestions can help you develop a positive relationship with your co-workers:

The Para Can Seek Out Basic Information About the Teacher(s)

Handout #8 (p. 32) , Transparency #11. Lecture:

All too often, people assume that all schools, classrooms, or other education settings are pretty much alike. Nothing is further from the truth. The management and environment of individual schools and


classrooms reflect the styles and philosophies of principals and faculties, the education needs of the students, community values, and cultural heritages. Paraeducators frequently work with more than one teacher and may be expected to perform different tasks with different degrees of responsibility in similar programs. All teachers have different approaches to integrating paraeducators into the instructional process and other classroom activities. Without mutual awareness and understanding of specific school and classroom environments, the educational team is not as effective as it should be.

It is best if principals and teachers offer their new paraeducators an orientation to the job setting – to the education philosophy and goals of their programs and the professional and ethical practices that all staff are expected to follow. If not, the teacher or the para can think about and talk with one another about the following topics at any time in their working relationship. Discussing the following sorts of topics will help teachers and paras work more effectively together.

1. TEACHING STYLE – Teachers, like everyone else, have unique characteristics and ways of doing things. In many cases, these characteristics are rarely given much thought by the teacher because they are such an integral part of the individual’s teaching style; but for paraeducators, who are in support roles, it is imperative that they know as much about these characteristics as possible. This is particularly true in school systems where increasingly paraeducators work with two or more teachers. A teacher’s style may be quite flexible, not very flexible, permissive, or a combination of these and more. Most teachers have an array of teaching strategies they like to use in a specific situation or with a specific student. They may be topic-related, skill-related, or concept-related. For other teachers, structured behavior management methods may serve as the basic approach for teaching both academic skills and helping students learn to monitor and maintain effective behavior. Some teachers may rely on skill mastery whereas others will rely on incidental types of learning centers or various types of cooperative learning, peer tutoring, or individual projects. No matter what method a teacher uses, it is important for paraeducators to know what teaching repertoires the teacher has chosen and the reasons why they are used with a specific group or an individual student.

2. USE OF TEACHING MATERIALS – Teachers, almost like good mechanics, have their favorite tools. In the selection and use of instructional materials and activities, teachers very often will rely more on one type of material or strategy than on others, even though either one might work in the particular learning situation. Paraeducators can be more helpful to the teacher(s) if they seek to learn from them why they select certain material for certain learning situations.

3. SUPERVISORY STYLE – Just as teachers have unique teaching styles, they also have distinct supervisory styles. One teacher may be very structured and provide specific directions based on classroom rules, procedures, program content, and instructional strategies developed by the teacher. Another teacher may ask the paraeducator to share ideas and information and participate in the decision-making/planning process. Still a third teacher may tend to be non-directive and prefer the paraeducator to observe and ask questions about what the teacher does and then to model the strategies.

4. BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES – Teachers have developed ways or systems of managing the classroom – establishing expectations for student behavior and a system of consequences for encouraging students’ appropriate behavior and discouraging their inappropriate behavior. In addition to school-wide and classroom-wide rules and expectations, there may be some behavior management systems that are individualized for specific students. It is important for paraeducators to know about all of the approaches to behavior management that are used in their school and classroom. In addition, paras need to know what their role is in supporting these systems.


Get to Know the Other Team Members

Exercise #6 (p. 54). It is important that paraeducators know as much of the school staff as possible. This form is provided to help with the process of remembering names of staff members and what their positions are. Staff members may change between school years, so you may wish to keep a blank copy of this form for future use to help you stay current with the school staff. Teachers can help paras get (or stay) oriented to who they’re working with.

Paras & Teachers Can Work on Developing Rapport, Trust, & Respect

Handout #9 (p. 33) ,Transparency #12. Lecture:

Keep the following tips in mind to help you foster effective working relationships with one another (and any other people on your instructional team).

1. MEET REGULARLYSet a standard time each day, if possible, for you to meet with one another to discuss that day’s events/activities and to make plans for the next day. You need to review together how the day’s lesson plans were carried out and the educational and/or behavioral progress you observed by the student(s) you worked with. Paraeducators can provide feedback to the teacher regarding their experiences and observations of students. This is critical information the teacher needs for decision-making and planning. Having regular meetings between the teacher and para will help keep the lines of communication open, and provide you both with a ready forum for bringing up a range of issues or concerns that you might not otherwise have time to address.

2. BE OPEN TO SHARING AND HEARING ATTITUDES & FEELINGS ABOUT WORKThe attitudes and feelings of both teachers and paraeducators need to be expressed, respected, and understood. Teachers and paraeducators need to deal openly with their feelings and attitudes toward their roles and duties, the students they work with, instructional styles and management, and the value of each other’s contributions. When feelings are not shared openly, the nature of the relationship will not grow and the team will be less effective.

3. UNDERSTAND DIRECTIONS AND EXPECTATIONSThere will be times when paras don’t understand something a teacher has asked them to do, don’t remember information needed in order to perform a task, or need help in order to do something correctly. At the same time, there will be times when the teacher needs help. Needing help is normal, but you can’t expect the other person to read your mind. So you need to be able to ask for help when you need it. The teacher-para team should be a relationship in which you can both feel comfortable asking for help when you need it in order to do your job well.

4. BE OPEN TO DIVERSITYAn understanding of the similarities and differences among the people involved in the team must be recognized and understood, including different points of view about educational strategies, different values, different cultural and religious heritages, different levels of education, experience, and other factors that can affect the working relationship. Teachers and paraeducators should work together to determine how best to use the differences between them to their advantage. That is, look for the special interests, talents, or training each of you has that might complement the other, thus enhancing the delivery of education services to children and youth.


5. DEVELOP A SHARED VOCABULARYThere is a need for a common base of understanding and reference between teachers and paraeducators. Teachers and other education professionals tend to know and use the same jargon in connection with student performance, assessment techniques, program planning, and educational methods. Although this jargon can be an effective shorthand for education professionals, it tends to exclude others (e.g., parents, students, paraeducators) from participating in the educational process. For this reason, it is important for teachers and paraeducators to work together to develop a vocabulary they both understand.

6. DEVELOP SHARED NON-VERBAL CUESParaeducator-teacher teams need to develop a set of non-verbal cues that will enable them to reduce distractions in all phases of the daily routine. By systematically using silent cues that do not require oral directions and responses to problems in the midst of instructional activities, the team will be able to increase productivity, operate more efficiently in a crisis-situation, and establish a positive approach to communication. They may be preplanned or, as the team becomes better acquainted and more sensitive to each other’s mode of operation and student behaviors, they may become spontaneous.

7. WORK AT MAINTAINING A POSITIVE CLIMATE OF TEAMWORKA climate of cooperation, trust, respect, and loyalty does not develop automatically. You and other members of the instructional team must actively work at creating and maintaining such a climate. You can do this by attending meetings together, complimenting each other about work that is well done, showing a sincere interest in one another’s work, respecting each other’s position in the classroom, observing school rules, avoiding criticizing other paraeducators or teachers, and developing a friendly attitude. The benefits of creating positive working relationships include having a more enjoyable work atmosphere and being more effective at your job.

Communicating with Students

Problematic communication

According to Thomas Gordon, author of Teacher Effectiveness Training, there are thousands of messages that we can send to students by how we communicate with them. The problematic types of messages can be grouped into twelve categories. These are the twelve categories that tend to slow or completely stop existing communication that students need to solve problems and continue in their learning.

Handout #10 (p. 34), Transparency #13. The first five types of problematic messages convey unacceptance of the student.

1. Ordering, commanding, directing.Example: “Stop whining and get back to work.”

2. Warning, threatening.Example: “You had better get your act together if you expect to pass my class.”

3. Moralizing, preaching, giving “shoulds” and “oughts.”Example: “You should leave your personal problems out of the classroom.”


4. Advising, offering solutions or suggestions.Example: “I think you need to get a daily planner so you can organize your time better to get

your homework finished.”

5. Teaching, lecturing, giving logical arguments.Example: “You better remember you only have four days to complete that project.”

The next three types of messages are problematic to send students because they communicate inadequacies and faults.

6. Judging, criticizing, disagreeing, blaming.Example: “You are such a lazy kid. You never do what you say you will.”

7. Name-calling, stereotyping, labeling.Example: “Act your age. You are not a kindergartner.”

8. Interpreting, analyzing, diagnosing.Example: “You are avoiding facing this assignment because you missed the directions due to

talking.”

Other messages are poor attempts to make the student feel better or to deny there is a problem.

9. Praising, agreeing, giving positive evaluations.Example: “You are a smart kid. You can figure out a way to finish this assignment.”

10. Reassuring, sympathizing, consoling, supporting.Example: “I know exactly how you are feeling. If you just begin, it won’t seem so bad.”

This response tends to try to solve the problem for the student.

11. Questioning, probing, interrogating, cross-examining.Example: “Why did you wait so long to ask for assistance? What was so hard about this

worksheet?”

The last type of problematic message is one that tends to divert the student or avoid the student altogether.

12. Withdrawing, distracting, being sarcastic, humoring, diverting.Example: “Seems like you got up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Many people are unaware that they respond to students in some of these ways. It is important that we know alternative ways of responding. Many of the above responses have hidden messages when the student hears them. They may hear you saying that they are to blame or that they can’t do anything right, when your intention for the message was quite different.


Positive Communication

o ACTIVE LISTENING

Handout #11 (p. 35), Transparency #14. Although “active listening” was covered in the last lesson, it is so important that it is worth mentioning again. This is one of the most positive ways for you to interact with students. An example of a paraeducator engaging in active listening is the following:

Student: “I don’t like this school as much as my old one. People are not very nice.”

Para: “You are unhappy at this school?”

Student: “Yeah. I haven’t made any good friends. No one includes me.”

Para: “You feel left out here?”

Student: “Yeah. I wish I knew more people.”

The paraeducator is verbalizing what he/she thinks the student is saying. This lets the student affirm what the paraeducator said or explain their meaning in a different way. Active listening is helpful for the following reasons:

1. It helps students deal with and “defuse” strong feelings.2. It helps students understand their own emotions.3. It facilitates problem-solving.4. It keeps the responsibility with the student.5. It makes students more willing to listen to others.6. It promotes a closer, more meaningful relationship between the paraeducator and the

student.

o HELPFUL NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOR

There are certain behaviors that facilitate openness and acceptance. When we actively use the recommendations for non-verbal behaviors that are listed below, students tend to be more receptive to listening and communicating with us.

1. Posture:Try to make your posture mirror that of the students. It is helpful to have your

shoulders squared with the student’s and on about the same level so you are face-to-face. It is also helpful to have a slightly forward lean toward the student.

2. Eye Contact:Eye contact with students shows that you are interested in what they have to say.

3. Facial Expression:What is shown on your face should match what is on the student’s. Smiling when the

student is obviously sad would be an example of an incongruent facial expression.


4. Distance:Distance from the student shouldn’t be too close or too distant; about 3-4 feet is the

average. Standing too close can make the student uncomfortable, while standing too far away can indicate that you are disinterested in what the student is saying.

5. Distracting Behaviors:Distracting behaviors, such as playing with your hands, staring out the window, or

doing something else while listening should be eliminated when talking to students.

6. Voice Quality:Your tone should match the student’s. It would be inappropriate to be loud if the

student is in a quiet mood.

o CONVEYING ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance of another is an important factor in fostering a relationship where a person can grow and actualize their full potential. At times, young people become what adults around them continuously tell them they are. Adults seem to think that if we accept a student where they are at, they may not make the changes to become better in the future. Therefore, if one conveys unacceptance, the student is more likely to change. Just the opposite is true.

A language of acceptance can open kids up and make them feel more comfortable and at ease. When they know we will accept them no matter what they tell us, we are more likely to see growth. When we communicate in an accepting way, we are using a tool that can facilitate positive effects in students.

o OTHER TIPS FOR POSITIVE COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS

1. Remember that your job is to encourage students, not to control them.

2. Be positive in speaking with students. Avoid “putting them down.”

3. Use the student’s name when you speak to him/her.

4. When giving directions, get the student’s attention first.

5. Include examples from the student’s experience.

6. Reinforce and support students for listening.

7. Use age-appropriate language.


Talking with Students about Individual Differences

Transparency #15.

Children and youth are naturally curious about the ways in which people are different from one another. They ask questions of adults, questions such as:

“How does the skin get color?”“Why are her eyes like that?”“What color is my blood?”“Why doesn’t he have a leg?”

These kinds of questions can leave you groping for appropriate answers. But remember, even if they touch a nerve or are uncomfortable for adults, they are a normal and even necessary part of a student’s growing sense of self.

When these tough questions come, what is the best way to respond? First of all, no matter how awkward the moment may seem, try not to scold the student for asking the question. Ignoring the question doesn’t help, either. Denying or evading the student’s questions can backfire. When differences between people aren’t acknowledged and addressed, they can become mysterious, bigger than life, and even frightening to the student.

The best approach is to, first, make sure you understand the question the student is asking. Then try to give accurate and concise information. Try to gently correct any misinformation or incorrect assumptions the student may have. Responding calmly to the student, with accurate information, shows approval of his or her right to question, acknowledges his individual thoughts and observations, and helps him feel comfortable with differences. “Yes, Pham’s skin is darker than yours and her eyes are shaped differently. She looks like her mom and dad, just like you look like your mom and dad.”

Be careful, though; don’t go overboard. Too much information can be confusing for young children. Take into account the student’s age and developmental level and gear your answers accordingly. Students’ questions provide a great opportunity to talk together, rather than be afraid of, diversity.

Teaching Students Effective Interpersonal, Problem-Solving, and Communication Skills

Handout #12 (p. 36) , Transparency #16. Lecture:

All members of the instructional team are responsible for assisting students to develop skills and techniques that will help them become more self-reliant, more confident in their ability to relate to and work with others, gain control of their emotions, and increase self-respect.

Team members carry out their responsibilities for social instruction of students in three main ways: by showing, telling, and reinforcing. It is most important that you SHOW the types of positive interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills taught in this unit in your interactions with students and others. Demonstrate respect for others’ basic rights and individuality. Be fair, kind, polite, express caring and interest, and listen to students and youth. Encourage their development of independence, autonomy, and individuality by giving them opportunities to exercise control over their environment by making choices. These things will help you create nurturing relationships with students, which is a necessary first step for teaching to occur. Show, by example, how to “work and play well with others,” to follow rules, and to take responsibility for your actions.


It is also important to TELL students about positive interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills that will benefit them. Look for opportunities to discuss social, communication, and problem-solving skills with students. For example, talk with them about the importance of remaining calm in tense situations in order to make good, rational decisions. Talk with them about strategies such as deep breathing, positive self-talk, or distraction techniques like finding something else to do. Another example of teaching self-management skills by “telling” would be discussing how different people express emotions differently. Some people talk about them using “feeling” words, while other people may tend to act them out more (by crying, yelling, or withdrawing). It is important for students to learn to make the distinction between feelings and actions – that all feelings are okay but that not all actions or behaviors are okay. Some infringe upon the rights of others (e.g., the right to not be physically hurt, the right to participate in a lesson that is not disrupted, etc.). Finally, talk with them about choices for their behavior and the importance of thinking ahead and weighing the “pro’s” and “con’s” of different behaviors before using them. Teach them a simplified version of the problem-solving process you learned in this unit. For example:

Step 1: State the problem & the goalStep 2: Brainstorm solutionsStep 3: List the pro’s & con’s of all possible solutionsStep 4: Pick a solution and try itStep 5: Decide if your solution worked. If yes, you’re done. If not, then go through the steps again.

The third way paraeducators can improve their relationships with students while also teaching them effective interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills is to REINFORCE students’ prosocial behavior. That is, when you observe them using, or trying to use, positive interpersonal skills, reward them with praise or other incentives that are used in that classroom as part of the overall behavior management program. “Catch them” being good – notice and comment when you see students attempting to monitor and control their behavior, share emotions appropriately with others, make and maintain friendships, or cope with peer pressures.

Divide the class into pairs. Ask them to describe a child they know or a student they have worked with who has disruptive behaviors. Then ask them to discuss which interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills taught in this unit could help the student control their emotions, or become more confident or self-reliant. How might they go about teaching these skills to the student?

CLOSING

Interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills are critically important for job success and satisfaction. They are relevant to everyone – regardless of age or occupation, and they are skills that can be improved throughout the lifespan. You are encouraged to continue to monitor your own skill level and make efforts at improvement.

Questions/comments?


UNIT HANDOUTS(provided on following pages)

Table of Contents:

Handout #1: Overview of SessionHandout #2: Hierarchy of Interpersonal SkillsHandout #3: Appreciating DiversityHandout #4: Five-Step Problem-Solving ProcessHandout #5: Three Categories of CommunicationHandout #6: “I Messages”Handout #7: Active ListeningHandout #8: Learning about one anotherHandout #9: Building a good working relationshipHandout #10: Problematic Communication with StudentsHandout #11: Positive Communication with StudentsHandout #12: Building good relationships with Students &

Teaching them Interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills


HANDOUT #1: OVERVIEW OF SESSION

Introduction


A. DefinitionB. Hierarchy of skills C. Appreciating DiversityD. Self-assessment of interpersonal skills


A. Conflict is normal but requires skills for managingB. Self-assessment: How do you respond to conflict?C. Five-step problem-solving process D. Practicing problem-solving skills through role-plays


A. DefinitionB. Three general categories of communicationC. Sending clear messages by using “I Messages”D. Being receptive to hearing others’ messages – “Active Listening” skillsE. Controlling strong emotions


A. Importance of communication and teamwork in educationB. Developing good working relationships with team membersC. Communicating with students

Closing


HANDOUT #2: HIERARCHY OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Group 1: The Basics, Part 1Saying “thank you”. Asking a question. Listening. Introducing others. Introducing yourself. Starting a conversation. Maintaining a conversation. Giving a compliment.

Group 2: The Basics, Part 2Asking for help. Giving instructions. Apologizing. Joining in. Following instructions. Convincing others.

Group 3: Dealing with FeelingsKnowing your feelingsUnderstanding the feelings of othersDealing with someone else’s angerExpressing your feelingsRewarding yourselfDealing with fear

Group 4: Alternatives to AggressionAsking permissionHelping othersUsing self-controlResponding to teasingAvoiding trouble from othersSharing somethingNegotiation

Group 5: Dealing with Stress Keeping out of fightsMaking a complaint Standing up for your rightsSportsmanship after a gameDealing with embarrassmentDealing with being left out Group 6: Planning SkillsDealing with contradictory messages Deciding what to doDealing with an accusation Setting a goalAnswering a complaint Gathering informationResponding to failure Making a decisionResponding to persuasion Deciding what caused a problemStanding up for a friend Deciding on your abilitiesDealing with group pressure Arranging problems by importanceGetting ready for a difficult conversation Concentrating on a task


HANDOUT #3: APPRECIATING DIVERSITY

Expectation for Educational Personnel –

Attitude of acceptance of, and appreciation for, the many ways in which people differ from one another (for example, age, gender, ethnicity, etc.)

Positive Attitude toward Diversity –

Means NOT ignoring differences, NOT stereotyping, and NOT labeling

Tips for Showing a Positive Attitude toward Students with Different Abilities:

Identify any stereotypes you might hold about people with disabilities and work on eliminating those mistaken beliefs

Remember they are people first; whenever possible, treat them like everyone else

Use “Person First” language and other appropriate terminology and phrasing. For example:

DO DON’T

“She has cerebral palsy.” “She has C.P.” or “She is spastic.” “He is deaf and communicates “He is deaf and dumb.”

in sign language.” “She uses a wheelchair.” “She is confined to a wheelchair.” “He has seizures.” “He has fits.” “He has a learning disability.” “He is learning disabled.”“He has autism.” “He is autistic.”


HANDOUT #4: 5-STEP PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS

1) IDENTIFY & DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM

What is the problem from your perspective? What is the problem from the other person’s point of view? Can you develop a definition of the problem that you both/all agree on?

2) DEFINE & DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM

What factors created the problem and/or cause it to persist? Can you separate the real, underlying problem from the surface events related to

the problem? Is the problem caused by “outside conditions,” or is it something that you might

be able to change?

3) DECIDE ON A GOAL & BRAINSTORM SOLUTIONS

What do you want to achieve? How can you go about achieving it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution?

4) SELECT A COURSE OF ACTION TO TRY

Weigh the pro’s & con’s of each solution and choose the one that seems most beneficial

5) TRY THE SOLUTION & EVALUATE ITS EFFECTIVENESS

Implement the decision After some time, evaluate whether the solution worked

If not, go through this process again


HANDOUT #5: THREE CATEGORIES OF COMMUNICATION

1. NON-ASSERTIVE / PASSIVE

- Feel shy about sharing opinions, feelings, beliefs- Tend to withhold information when they have something

useful to share- Don’t stand up for their legitimate rights- Tend to feel taken advantage of

2. AGGRESSIVE

- Disrespectful of the rights & contributions of others- Yell, use sarcasm & put-downs, and humiliate others- Highly critical of others- Impose their values/beliefs on others

3. POSITIVE / ASSERTIVE

- Find a balance between standing up for own rights and being respectful of others’

- State thoughts/feelings in honest, straightforward manner, using respectful tone of voice, yet also listen to others

- Tend to feel more satisfied with their communications and relationships with others

- Tend to get what they want more often than those with passive or aggressive behavior, yet also able to cope with it when unable to get their way


HANDOUT #6: “I MESSAGES”

Use “I Messages” instead of “You Messages” to be more ASSERTIVE!

“You Messages” are statements about others that tend to cause problems in communication. “You Messages” are comments that begin like this:

“You make me so angry when _______”OR: “You are not being fair when _______.”

There are three problems with “You Messages”:

1) The speaker is denying responsibility for the feeling.

2) The speaker is giving control of his/her feelings to someone else.

3) “You Messages” that express negative emotions can elicit anger, resistance, or other negative responses from the other person (instead of a caring, cooperative, problem-solving response).

“I Messages” promote ownership and control of our emotions and behaviors; they can be used to express all emotions; and, in most circumstances, they can be used to express our feelings and attitudes without seeming to threaten the other person.

“I Messages” have three parts:

1) A feeling/emotion2) A situation3) A reason

An “I Message” is stated like this:

“I feel _____ (emotion) when ____________ (situation) because ____________________ (reason).


HANDOUT #7: ACTIVE LISTENING

SHOW THAT YOU ARE RECEPTIVE TO OTHERS BY USING SHOW THAT YOU ARE RECEPTIVE TO OTHERS BY USING ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS . . . ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS . . .

KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Don’t let your own thoughts, biases, or prejudices distort the messages you hear from others.

CONCENTRATE

Block out distractions so you can pay full attention to the speaker’s message. Ignore your own emotional state and follow the thread of ideas in the speaker’s message.

BECOME INVOLVED

Ask questions to clarify what is being said. Keep a mental running summary of the ideas being shared. Paraphrase occasionally. Show interest in receiving the speaker’s message.


HANDOUT #8: LEARNING ABOUT ONE ANOTHER

Schools & teachers are unique. Your teacher-para team will probably be more effective if you think about & discuss the following topics.

1 – TEACHING STYLE

In what situations is the teacher flexible? Not flexible?

What teaching strategies does the teacher prefer?

2 – USE OF TEACHING MATERIALS

What teaching tools does the teacher use?What types of materials or activities does he/she choose for certain students?

3 – SUPERVISORY STYLE

How structured is the teacher?To what extent will you be asked to participate in decision-making and planning?

4 – BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

What are the teacher’s classroom-wide rules?What individualized behavior-management systems are in place for specific students?What is the para’s role in supporting the school and classroom behavior policies and practices?


HANDOUT #9: BUILDING A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Teachers & paras can develop rapport, trust, and respect by keeping the following tips in mind:

Be open to sharing some of your attitudes and feelings about your work. Also be open to listening to, and learning from, the work-related attitudes and feelings of the other person.

Be sure the para understands the activities and tasks that have been assigned to them. Teachers & paras both need to remember to ask for help when they need it.

Seek to understand how you are similar and different from one another and from the other members of the educational team. It is OK to have diversity; look for ways to use diversity to improve the teaching work you do.

Try to develop a shared vocabulary. You’ll need a set of terms that you both understand. The para may want to learn some educational jargon; or you may decide that lay terms work best for your team.

Try to develop a shared system of non-verbal cues. There will be times when these are much more efficient than verbal communication.

It will take work for the two of you to create and maintain a comfortable, positive, on-the-job climate. An attitude of cooperation, trust, and respect will help in this effort.


HANDOUT #10: PROBLEMATIC COMMUNICATION

WITH STUDENTS

These types of messages hamper student learning and the development of good relationships with students:

1. Ordering, commanding, directing.Example: “Stop whining and get back to work.”

2. Warning, threatening.Example: “You had better get your act together if you expect to pass my class.”

3. Moralizing, preaching, giving “shoulds” and “oughts.”Example: “You should leave your personal problems out of the classroom.”

4. Advising, offering solutions or suggestions.Example: “I think you need to get a daily planner so you can organize your time better to get

your homework finished.”

5. Teaching, lecturing, giving logical arguments.Example: “You better remember you only have four days to complete that project.”

6. Judging, criticizing, disagreeing, blaming.Example: “You are such a lazy kid. You never do what you say you will.”

7. Name-calling, stereotyping, labeling.Example: “Act your age. You are not a kindergartner.”

8. Interpreting, analyzing, diagnosing.Example: “You are avoiding facing this assignment because you missed the directions due to

talking.”

9. Praising, agreeing, giving positive evaluations.Example: “You are a smart kid. You can figure out a way to finish this assignment.”

10. Reassuring, sympathizing, consoling, supporting.Example: “I know exactly how you are feeling. If you just begin, it won’t seem so bad.”

11. Excessive questioning, probing, interrogating, cross-examining.Example: “Why did you wait so long to ask for assistance? What was so hard about this

worksheet?”

12. Withdrawing, distracting, being sarcastic, humoring, diverting.Example: “Seems like you got up on the wrong side of the bed today.”


HANDOUT #11: POSITIVE COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS

These communication techniques greatly benefit students:

Active Listening – listen closely and rephrase what the student said

Using Good Non-Verbal Cues

o Attentive posture – face-to-face, squared shoulders, forward lean

o Good eye contacto Facial expression mirrors theirso Don’t stand too close or too faro Don’t look distracted (e.g., playing with hands,

looking out window, or doing something else while talking)

o Calm tone of voice that matches theirs

Conveying Acceptance of the Student – acceptance makes kids feel comfortable enough to grow and change

Other tips:

o Be encouraging, not controllingo Be positiveo Use students’ nameso Get students’ attention before giving directionso Include examples from the student’s own experienceo Reinforce and support students for listening


HANDOUT #12: BUILDING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH

STUDENTS & TEACHING THEM SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS

Using good interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills to develop good relationships with students will accomplish three important goals:

1) By establishing a caring, trusting relationship with a student, you will be helping to motivate the student to accomplish the academic and learning goals set out for him/her.

2) Treating a student with care, fairness, and respect is good for the student’s self-esteem and will help his/her emotional development.

3) Demonstrating effective interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills means you will be serving as a role model for the student, thereby indirectly helping him/her to learn good interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Students learn effective interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills in three main ways:

1) By observing others in their environment (adults and/or other students) who use good social, communication, and problem-solving skills.

2) By talking with others (adults and/or other students) about social, communication, and problem-solving skills.

3) By being reinforced for displaying effective social, communication, and problem-solving skills.


UNIT EXERCISES

(provided on following pages)

Table of Contents:

Exercise #1: Social Skills InventoryExercise #2: Responding to ConflictExercise #3: Problem-Solving Role-Play Scenarios

(Situations 1-9, each on separate page, plus “Worksheet” for each situation at end)Exercise #4: “I Messages”Exercise #5: Small-group work on Dealing with Strong EmotionsExercise #6: Getting to know your team members


EXERCISE #1: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS INVENTORY*

This is not a test. This is a tool you can use to rate your ability to interact with co-workers, students, parents, and other people you come into contact with on-the-job. It is designed to help you assess your social or interpersonal skills – to determine what your areas of strength might be as well as your areas of weakness. This way, you can feel good about the things you do well, and you can start to think about working to improve the things you don’t do as well. Read each item then circle the number to the right of each item that best describes how well you think you use a specific skill. After you have rated all the items, choose three that you will commit to improving and make a list of ways you can change these behaviors.

Poor Average Excellent

1. Active listening......................................... 1 2 3 4 5

2. Starting a conversation.............................. 1 2 3 4 5

3. Asking for a favor..................................... 1 2 3 4 5

4. Giving a compliment................................. 1 2 3 4 5

5. Accepting a compliment........................... 1 2 3 4 5

6. Accepting criticism................................... 1 2 3 4 5

7. Giving criticism........................................ 1 2 3 4 5

8. Apologizing............................................... 1 2 3 4 5

9. Giving instructions.................................... 1 2 3 4 5

10. Following instructions............................ 1 2 3 4 5

11. Expressing your feelings......................... 1 2 3 4 5

12. Handling anger........................................ 1 2 3 4 5

* Adapted from “A teacher self-assessment inventory” developed by Linda Thurston, Associate Professor of Special Education, College of Education, Kansas State University, Manhattan.


INTERPERSONAL SKILLS INVENTORY (cont.)

Poor Average Excellent

13. Dealing with conflict............................... 1 2 3 4 5

14. Standing up for your rights..................... 1 2 3 4 5

15. Stating what you want............................. 1 2 3 4 5

16. Stating an unpopular opinion.................. 1 2 3 4 5

17. Saying no................................................ 1 2 3 4 5

18. Having a positive attitude....................... 1 2 3 4 5

19. Asking questions..................................... 1 2 3 4 5

20. Completing tasks..................................... 1 2 3 4 5

21. Dealing with resistance........................... 1 2 3 4 5

22. Encouraging & respecting diversity........ 1 2 3 4 5

Three interpersonal skills to work on & ways to work on them:

1. ________________________________ -- _______________________________________(skill) (methods for improving)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________


EXERCISE #2: RESPONDING TO CONFLICT

Instructions: In order to evaluate how you respond to conflict, list people with whom you occasionally have conflict. Then use the form below by placing a checkmark by the description of the way you deal with each individual. If there are strategies that you use and you would like to change, pay attention to the upcoming lesson and the rest of this unit and decide what you might do instead.

___________ ___________ __________(Person 1) (Person 2) (Person 3)

1. Avoid the person........................................................ _______ _______ _______

2. Change the subject..................................................... _______ _______ _______

3. Admit that you are wrong, even if you don’t

think you are...................................................... _______ _______ _______

4. Give in........................................................................ _______ _______ _______

5. Pretend you agree....................................................... _______ _______ _______

6. Whine or complain until you get your way............... _______ _______ _______

7. Play the martyr. Give in, but let the other person

know how much you are suffering.................... _______ _______ _______

8. Try to reach a compromise........................................ _______ _______ _______

9. Try to understand the other person’s point

of view............................................................... _______ _______ _______

10. Try to find a new solution both of you will

find acceptable................................................... _______ _______ _______

11. Be persistent. Wear down the opposition............... _______ _______ _______

12. Use your authority. Order the person to obey you.. _______ _______ _______

13. Use sarcasm or ridicule............................................ _______ _______ _______

14. Defend your position................................................ _______ _______ _______

15. Use your power to win your position....................... _______ _______ _______

16. Acknowledge the conflict and work for

consensus........................................................... _______ _______ _______

17. Try to eliminate to gain the advantage..................... _______ _______ _______

18. Other: _________________________ _______ _______ _______


EXERCISE #3: PROBLEM-SOLVING

SITUATION 1

Mr. Franklin, the principal of a school where Sally Warren is an instructional paraeducator, believes that he has put together a terrific staff who know each other, are interested in one another, and like one another. To enhance the esprit de corps, he uses the loud speaker system to communicate to the staff all the latest news about them: who is going to take another job, who has received a new degree, who has contributed a good idea about improving the school, etc. He begins this process by welcoming and introducing the new professional staff to the school at the beginning of the year so that a feeling of “togetherness” can be initiated and maintained. However, Mr. Franklin never acknowledges anyone other than teachers; not the custodians, not the cafeteria workers, and not the instructional paraeducators. Nor are the paraeducators or other support staff asked to participate in the school-based management meetings, even though decisions are made that impact on their work. To make matters worse, the paraeducators do not have assigned mailboxes. Therefore, they never receive announcements from the district about training or other resources available to paraeducators.

Sally has been at the school for six years. She is discussing Mr. Franklin’s concept of communication with Joan Mitchell, the teacher she has been working with for the last three years. Joan is surprised to learn how upset Sally is and that she is thinking about marching into Mr. Franklin’s office to let him have it. Role-play this situation.


EXERCISE #3: PROBLEM-SOLVING (cont.)

SITUATION 2

Felix is seven years old. He has seizures at least twice every day in the classroom. Gene Wong, the teacher, notices that Arlene Thompson, the paraeducator, seems reluctant to assist Felix when the seizures occur. In fact, Ms. Thompson ignores him most of the time.

Mr. Wong decides he needs to discuss the situation with Ms. Thompson. At the beginning of the meeting, Ms. Thompson announces that she likes most of the children but for some reason she just does not like Felix and finds it difficult to work with him. Role-play the meeting.



SITUATION 3

Joan Curry has worked as a paraeducator for 22 years. She started out working as a playground and lunchroom monitor and for the last 15 years has worked as an instructional assistant in special education programs. She has seen teachers come and go. She is well liked by the students, teachers, and other staff members.

This year she has been assigned to work with Gale Brewer, a new teacher. Things have not gone well between the two of them. The tasks Gale has assigned to Joan include supervising recess, setting up learning centers, and making bulletin boards. Joan feels that she is not appreciated and has started to complain to the rest of the staff about Gale.

This is Gale's first job. While she was in college, she was not prepared to supervise or work with another adult in the class, let alone someone who is old enough to be her mother with more than 20 years experience. She really feels that, as the teacher, she is responsible for and will be held accountable for everything that goes on in the class – the good and the bad. That is why, after thinking it over, she has decided that it is important to establish herself as the person who is in charge of the class. It is not always easy because Joan is always making suggestions and telling her how other teachers do things. In fact, Joan can be a little intimidating. Now other teachers have started to tell her how lucky she is to have Joan work with her. Role play a meeting between the two of them.



SITUATION 4

Clara Martinez is a paraeducator in a preschool class that serves young children ages 3-5 with and without disabilities. She has worked in Head Start programs for several years, is the mother of a son who has mental retardation, and speaks Spanish fluently. She was recruited by the principal to work in the class because of her understanding of the needs of children with disabilities and because several Hispanic children with special needs are enrolled in the class. In addition to the teacher, there are two other paraeducators assigned to the class.

The teacher, Trudy Baker, has a Master’s in Early Childhood Education but has never taughtstudents who have disabilities. Despite Clara's understanding of the needs of students with special needs, Ms. Baker seems to rely on Josie and Caroline and to ignore Clara's skills. The three of them have worked as a team for four years and are very close. In fact, it seems they can almost read each other's minds. The two other paraeducators take their lunch breaks together and frequently come back late. Role play a meeting among the team.



SITUATION 5

Georgette Brown is a new paraeducator in a high school industrial arts class. She has been a Girl Scout Leader and been active in the PTA. She and her husband are renovating their house so she has developed some good carpentry skills. When she started her job, the principal told her about the full inclusion program for students with disabilities they were starting in the school. When Georgette expressed concern about her ability to work with students with disabilities, she was told not to worry, that Mr. Dobson, the teacher she would be working with, would explain what he wanted her to do. This has never happened. In fact, most of the communication between them takes place in the class in front of the students, and Georgette feels this is undermining her ability to work with the students and maintain control of the class when Mr .Dobson must leave the room.

Ken Dobson is the teacher. This year, for the first time since he started teaching 12 years ago, he has been assigned an instructional paraeducator to assist him. This was done because of the district's decision to fully integrate students with disabilities into general education. Ken likes the challenge of working with students with disabilities, but he is not so sure that he likes working with another adult. Indeed, because he is very busy with extra curricular duties and working on a graduate degree, he does not have time to meet with her regularly. He is a loner who has his own ways of doing things, and feels Georgette does not always follow his lead. Things are not going well in the class, and Georgette seems to be having trouble with some of the students with challenging behavior. Role play a meeting between Ken and Georgette.



SITUATION 6

Barbara Sturm has been working as a paraeducator for three years. For the first two years, sheworked with the same teacher in a special education class serving students with severe disabilities. This year she has been assigned to facilitate the inclusion of Liza McNees into a general education 4th grade class. She is now working with three teachers: Mildred McNair, the special education teacher she has worked with for the last two years; Jim O'Connor, a physical education teacher; and Virginia Thompson, the 4th grade teacher.

Each of the teachers has a different teaching style and attitude about discipline, behaviormanagement, and classroom management. Things are going fairly well in the P.E. class. Mr.O'Connor has assigned a buddy to assist Liza with warm-up activities and make sure she follows the rules when they are playing games. Barbara is worried because she thinks Mr. O'Connor may be encouraging Liza to do more than she is capable of, especially in gymnastics. Barbara is concerned about it, as she feels she is responsible for Liza's safety. When she tries to discuss it with Mr. O'Connor, he laughs and tells her she is too serious and not to be a "Nervous Nelly."

Virginia Thompson is very pleasant, but never asks Barbara to share ideas about how best to work with Liza. In addition, she does not always follow Liza' s instructional program the way it was designed by Mildred, and seems to resent it if Barbara makes suggestions. She has started to ask Barbara to work with some of the other students, and Barbara is not sure that is proper since Liza's IEP plainly states that Barbara is supposed to tutor her and does not mention any other students.

Mildred has always been very supportive of Barbara. Now when Barbara tries to share her concerns with her about how things are going in the P.E. program and the 4th grade class, she becomes very impatient and says there is nothing she can do since it is up to the other teachers to decide what happens in their class.

Barbara has become very frustrated because no one listens to her. She has asked for a meeting to see if she can clarify things. Role play the meeting.



SITUATION 7

Jonelle Smith has been teaching language arts and literature in a middle school for six years. During that time, two things have happened that have caused the school district to employ paraeducators. The first is the increasing numbers of Cambodian immigrants who have moved into the community. The second is related to a decision to include students with disabilities in general education programs. As a result, Leah Pran has been employed to assist Jonelle. Leah is not only fluent in two Cambodian dialects, she is also a leader in the growing Cambodian community. While Leah spends most of her time with Cambodian students who have limited English, she also works with students who have learning disabilities.

Jonelle is pleased that Leah is working in her classroom. Since neither of them has ever worked with students who are diagnosed as having severe learning disabilities, a special education teacher, Dimitri Nureyev, is also part of the team. While he works directly with students from time to time, he is primarily available to consult with Jonelle and Leah.

At the beginning of the year, the three team members met together to discuss the goals for the entire class and the objectives for individual students. Both Jonelle and Dimitri encouraged Leah to share information about Cambodian culture and values they could then build on to develop activities and curriculum content for students with limited English. Dimitri provided information about instructional strategies and behavior management techniques they could use to work with the students with learning disabilities. As a team, they also decided that it would be helpful if Jonelle incorporated notes in her lesson plans for Leah to indicate how methods and content could be modified to accommodate needs of individual students. They also agreed that while no time seemed to be available for all three of them to meet regularly, they could find time for informal chats and they would keep a joint log book with specific questions and requests for information and insight. Jonelle emphasized that she wanted Leah to discuss ideas she had for working with the students. The team seemed to be off to a good start. They spoke to each other when they could and communicated regularly through the log book.

Lately, however, Jonelle has begun to notice that the parents of the Cambodian students seem to feel more comfortable speaking with Leah than with her. And while Jonelle has no problem sharing many activities and tasks with Leah, she believes that communicating with parents is the responsibility of the teacher and no one else.

Jonelle is really concerned about how to deal with her concerns. First, she is aware of Leah'sposition as a community leader. Second, and of even greater importance, she is afraid she will hurt Leah's feelings if she asks her not to speak to the parents about their children or what goes on in the classroom unless she is present. And third, while district policy says that it is the responsibility of the teacher to involve parents in all aspects of their students' education, she is not sure Leah is aware of this.



SITUATION 7 (cont.)

Leah is also becoming concerned because her relationship with Jonelle seems to be changing. Until now, Jonelle has always been warm and friendly and eager to share ideas and information with Leah. Now there are times when she is stand-offish or she snaps at Leah for no good reason.

Leah has mentioned her concerns to Dimitri. He suggests she speak directly to Jonelle. But Leah is afraid that if she says anything she will turn Jonelle off even more. Role play the situation.



SITUATION 8

Betty Smithers works in an inclusive classroom serving students with and without disabilities. Some of the children are not toilet-trained and wear diapers. Betty has been told by the teacher, Susan Lerman, that it is the responsibility of the paraeducators to change the diapers. Betty's friend Ruth works in another classroom where the students have similar needs. However, the teacher in that classroom takes turns with Ruth and other paraeducators in changing diapers. Betty has tried speaking to Ms. Lerman about how she feels about always having to do the "dirty work" and has pointed out how another teacher deals with the problem. Susan's response is, "She has her way of doing things and I have my way." Betty is becoming frustrated and angry and has started to complain to other paraeducators. Susan is also becoming upset because she feels Betty is going behind her back and complaining to other people. The principal has called Betty and Susan to her office to discuss the problem. Role play the situation.



SITUATION 9

Martha Adams is a transition trainer assigned to work with a student placed as a part time employee in a mailroom in a large corporation. Mickey, the student, gets to work on time and performs most of his assignments without assistance. However, he does not stay on task, constantly asks unrelated questions, and has other disruptive behaviors.

Mr. Jones, the supervisor at the work site, feels that unless these behaviors change he will have to let Mickey go. Indeed, he is thinking about ending the participation of his company in the program altogether. Mickey is the third student to work in "his mailroom," and in general he feels it is more trouble than it is worth.

Martha has scheduled a meeting with Ruth Lowe, her supervising teacher, to discuss the problem. Mr. Jones has agreed to attend but he is fairly certain that it will not help. Role play the meeting.



WORKSHEET FOR EXERCISE #3

1. State what the problem is.

2. What might be some of the causes of the problem?

3. What are some possible solutions to the problem?

4. Think about the consequences of each solution you listed in #3, then list the pro’s & con’s of each solution.

5. Pick the best solution & try it.

6. (A few days or weeks after you implemented the solution, you would evaluate how well your solution worked.) Pick a hypothetical outcome, pretend it’s 2 weeks later, & evaluate your solution.


EXERCISE #4: USING “I MESSAGES”

INSTRUCTIONS: Read each of the scenarios described below and write an “I Message” you think would be an appropriate way for a student or an adult to react to the situation. Be sure to include (1) the feeling (“I feel …”), (2) the situation (“when …”), and (3) the reason (“because …”).

1. Joey was punished for talking out loud. He feels strongly that he was unfairly singled out and that the other students who were talking were not punished.

2. Gloria pinches and hurts Leah when the teacher and paraeducator are not aware of it. When Leah responds by hitting Gloria and has to stay after school, she throws a tantrum.

3. To Javier, it seems like Ms. Chavez, the paraeducator, pays more attention to his best friend Jerome than she does to him.

4. Kay has learned that her best friend Juanita talks about her behind her back.

5. Your spouse likes action movies; you like romantic comedies. You go to see “his” movies, but he says yours are silly.

6. Ali knows that Melinda uses a “crib sheet” when they take tests. They nearly always get the same grades.

7. Joe’s friend Chan has been asked to a party and he has not.

8. Carrie’s parents have grounded her for a month because she did not complete her assigned chores. This means she cannot go to the prom. She feels this is grossly unfair.

9. Claudia refuses to follow directions from the paraeducator.

10. John frequently borrows money from Teresa, but will not loan her money when she needs it.

11. Pico has missed three weeks of school. She is upset because neither the instructional team nor students recognize that she is back or ask where she has been.

12. The teacher never does any of the housekeeping chores in the classroom.


EXERCISE #5: DEALING WITH STRONG EMOTIONS

In a small group, discuss the following questions:

1. What happens to you when you try to make decisions or choices when you’re feeling strong emotions (fear, anger, excitement, joy, sadness)?

2. How do you feel when you are left out of a social event, or are excluded from a meeting or decision-making, at work or somewhere else? How do you feel when you are included? How do you react in these different situations?

3. Now consider these same questions in relation to students who also experience strong emotions but probably have fewer skills to manage and share their feelings with others.

4. What strategies do you use to remain calm when you’re feeling strong emotions?

5. Brainstorm a list of ideas you could share with students that might enable them to stay calm, relieve tension, “cool down,” or “chill out.” Think about what strategies might be most appropriate for different ages (e.g., preschool, elementary, middle, or high school) and different sites (e.g., lunchroom, classroom, home).


EXERCISE #6: GETTING TO KNOW THE OTHER TEAM MEMBERS

Position Name Location

Custodian ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Nurse ____________________________________________

Notes:

Bus Driver ____________________________________________

Notes:

Cafeteria Manager ____________________________________________

Notes:

Principal ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Assistant Principal ____________________________________________

Notes:

Secretary ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Counselor ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Special Education Director____________________________________________


Notes:

Speech Language Pathologist_________________________________________

Notes:

Occupational Therapist ____________________________________________

Notes:

Physical Therapist ____________________________________________

Notes:

Vocational Educator/Job Coach_____________________________________

Notes:

Teacher ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Teacher ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Teacher ____________________ ________________________Notes:

Paraeducator ____________________________________________

Notes:

Paraeducator ____________________________________________

Notes:


UNIT TRANSPARENCIES

(provided on following pages – inserted from file “M1, U2, T’s”)

Table of Contents:

Transparency #1: Title PageTransparency #2: Instructional Objectives for the Training SessionTransparency #3: Overview of Unit ContentTransparency #4: Interpersonal Skills – Definition & examplesTransparency #5: Interpersonal Skills – Appreciating diversityTransparency #6: Problem-Solving SkillsTransparency #7: General Communication Skills – 2 components, 3 categories of communicationTransparency #8: General Communication Skills (cont.) – “I Messages”Transparency #9: General Communication Skills (cont.) – Active listeningTransparency #10: Communication Skills for Paraeducators – Definition & importanceTransparency #11: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Getting to know your team membersTransparency #12: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Teachers & paras learning about one another Transparency #13: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Problematic ways to communicate with studentsTransparency #14: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Positive ways to communicate with studentsTransparency #15: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Talking with students about individual differencesTransparency #16: Communication Skills for Paraeducators (cont.) –

Building relationships with students & teaching them interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills

MODULE 1, UNIT 3LEGAL and ETHICAL GUIDELINES

UNIT OVERVIEW

This unit addresses the following paraeducator competencies:

Standard 1.0 General Knowledge and Values (A, D, E)Standard 7.0 Participating in Professional and Ethical Practices (A-E)


The paraeducator will:

1) Identify and describe the key educational provisions of each of the following legislative mandates:

a) The American with Disabilities Act (ADA);b) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;d) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

2) Identify the value of providing educational and support services to children and youth with varied backgrounds and ability levels.

3) Develop a basic knowledge of special education processes and procedures.

4) Describe the professional and ethical responsibilities of paraeducators who work with children and youth with disabilities, as well as their families.

TIME REQUIRED

The time required to teach this unit should be approximately 1½ to 2 hours, depending on the level of experience of the participants and the activities selected by the instructor.

EQUIPMENT & MATERIAL REQUIRED

A flipchart and easel, and/or chalkboard.

An overhead projector and screen. Or, if you prefer, you can write the information contained in the transparencies on the flipchart or chalkboard.

Copies of the Information Handouts, Exercises, and Overhead Transparencies for this unit.

Copies of your district's policies regarding 1) legal guidelines for educators and/or paraeducators who work with children with disabilities, and 2) ethical responsibilities of school personnel who work directly with students with disabilities and their families.


Review Unit Overview, Session Agenda, Handouts, Transparencies, and Exercises provided. Text that is found in italics in the Session Agenda represents instructions directed toward the


trainer; all remaining text is information to be conveyed directly to paraeducators attending the training.


Introduction

Lesson 1: Philosophy & rationale for the integration of people with disabilities

A. Historical overview of the maltreatment of people with disabilitiesB. Recent societal reaction to institutionalizationC. Two guiding principles emerged

1. The “Developmental Assumption” – all people are capable of growth & development

2. “Normalization” – importance of the environmentD. Benefits of inclusion/integration for non-disabled people

Lesson 2: Legal protections for people with disabilities

A. Secton 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973B. IDEAC. ADAD. FERPAE. Special Education policies

Lesson 3: Ethical standards for paraeducators working with students with disabilities

A. Respectful demeanorB. ConfidentialityC. Contributing to positive school-community relations

Closing


SESSION AGENDA

INTRODUCTION


Throughout most of history, people with disabilities have been treated very poorly – in education settings and in society, in general. This unit is designed to help us learn about the measures that have been taken to help correct this problem. We will review the laws that have been passed to protect the rights of people with disabilities, and about ethical standards guiding the way they are to be treated by paraeducators.

Transparency #2. Describe the following instructional objectives for the session. The various activities in this unit will enable paraeducators to meet the following four objectives:

1) Identify the value of providing educational and support services to children and youth with varied backgrounds and ability levels.

2) Identify and describe the key educational provisions of each of the following legislative mandates:

a) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;b) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);c) The American with Disabilities Act (ADA);d) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

3) Develop a basic knowledge of special education processes and procedures.

4) Describe the professional and ethical responsibilities of paraeducators who work with children and youth with disabilities, as well as their families.

We’ll use lectures and small group work to accomplish these goals. You are encouraged to take notes during the session, especially during lecture material. Some of this material will be provided to you in the form of handouts, but the handouts only summarize main points. Taking notes will help you remember the material in more detail.

Transparency #3, Handout #1 (p. 14) . Give the following overview of the session content. This is a broad overview of the topics that are covered in this training unit:

Introduction

Lesson 1: Philosophy & rationale for the integration of people with disabilities

A. Historical overview of the maltreatment of people with disabilitiesB. Recent societal reaction to institutionalizationC. Two guiding principles emerged

1. The “Developmental Assumption” 2. “Normalization”

D. Benefits of inclusion/integration for non-disabled people


Lesson 2: Legal protections for people with disabilities

A. Secton 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973B. IDEAC. ADAD. FERPAE. Special Education policies

Lesson 3: Ethical standards for paraeducators working with students with disabilities


Closing


LESSON 1: INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Historical Overview of the Maltreatment of People with Disabilities

Transparency #4, Lecture:

There is ample evidence to suggest that people with disabilities have been a part of all racial and ethnic heritages throughout history. However, it is clear from the records that are available that individuals with disabilities were often not considered valued members of the community. Sometimes, special asylums were built for people with psychiatric disabilities. For the most part, the conditions in these institutions were dehumanizing, filthy and crowded, and there is no evidence that any time was spent to help people better cope with the world and themselves. The growth of institutions in the United States for people with developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders followed these patterns. Institutions were characterized by overcrowding, lack of educational opportunities, and inhumane settings. Often, people were involuntarily sterilized for fear that they would reproduce infants who, too, had developmental disabilities. Although a complete history of special schools, asylums, and institutions reveals that the people who started them often did so with good intentions, the overcrowding that usually occurred and the segregation from other people seemed to bring the same harsh results.

Much of the treatment of people, particularly those with developmental disabilities, occurred because it was believed that they were not able to learn like other people and that it would be a waste of time to devote much effort to trying to help them do so. The treatment of children with severe emotional disabilities and of adults with long-term psychiatric disabilities was equally terrible. At the time, there were no effective treatments for psychiatric disabilities, so people thought the only solution was long-term institutionalization.


o Why do you think people with disabilities were abused in these ways?

o Although conditions are quite a bit better than that now, they are still not ideal. What are some of the ways our culture continues to disregard or violate the rights of people with disabilities?

o Have any of you had personal experiences, or do you know of times when others took advantage of an individual because he/she had a disability?

Exercise #1 (p. 21) . This is an exercise to help you think more about rights and people with disabilities – how they should be treated and what kind of environments they should be in. (After they are finished, lead a brief discussion, by asking for volunteers to share some of their reactions.)


Recent Societal Reaction to Institutionalization

Transparency #5, Brief lecture:

It wasn’t until the 1960’s that large numbers of people started to question the way that people with disabilities were treated. For the first time, there was a large-scale reaction of shock and horror about the conditions found in institutional settings. So there was a movement to develop community-based programs. Families of people with disabilities joined the movement. Many parents started voicing their desire for their children to be raised at home. They did not want to have to send a child who just happened to have a disability to a place where they would have little opportunity to watch him/her grow and develop. Some professionals and families became convinced that education could be provided locally and that people with disabilities could learn skills and become valued members of the community. As a result, community “developmental centers” were opened, where people with disabilities were taught needed skills. People also began to open many “sheltered workshops” where children and adults could participate in work-like activities. These centers often provided the foundation on which current community-based programs were built. The community-based programs of the ‘60s represent the first real effort toward integration – toward keeping people with disabilities living within the community (i.e., not in institutions) and teaching them skills to manage.

Two Guiding Principles Emerged

THE DEVELOPMENTAL ASSUMPTION


There are two basic principles that underlie the growth of community programs and the expansion of opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in the community. The first of these is the “developmental assumption,” which is the idea that all people are capable of growth and development. This principle suggests that everyone, even people with disabilities, can profit from educational opportunities. Although this seems like a simple concept, it is actually radically different from the way people used to think about learning and people with disabilities.

The developmental assumption also helps us remember that the environment is partly responsible for the learning that is or is not accomplished by people with disabilities. It is up to researchers, teachers, and other professionals to develop knowledge about disabling conditions, to develop effective treatments for them when possible, and to develop effective teaching techniques and assistive devices to help people with disabilities learn the skills they need to live as full a life as possible.

NORMALIZATION

Brief lecture:

The second basic principle for the development of integrated educational and work programs for students with disabilities is the principle of “normalization.” This principle says that we should “use means that are as normative as possible in order to establish, elicit, and/or maintain behaviors that are as normative as possible.” Although it sounds complex, it simply means that people learn better when they are taught in the same environments as other people and when they learn skills within the setting in which the skills will be used.

Basically, the principle of normalization means that we learn from the environments where we live, learn, play and work. If we are placed in an institution, we probably will learn those skills necessary to


live within an institution. In contrast, if we are taught in the community, we will most likely learn the skills necessary to participate in the community. We learn from other people and we tend to acquire the skills of those around us. For example, people who do not communicate verbally are more likely to learn verbal communication if they go to school or live with people who talk. A child who is not toilet trained is more likely to learn appropriate toileting behavior if he/she is in a setting where others are toilet trained.

Benefits of Integration for Non-Disabled People

Transparency #7.

There are also many benefits to others when people with disabilities are integrated into schools, work sites, and communities. Living, learning, and working among people with disabilities helps non-disabled people view them as people first. They get to know people with disabilities as people who have strengths and weaknesses, just like everyone else. They develop friendships with people with disabilities, and they learn and benefit from knowing them. These kinds of things help non-disabled people see past a disability, itself, and get over their fear and ignorance about disabilities. This, in turn, helps break down societal stereotypes and allows people with disabilities, on the whole, to participate more fully in the community.

Exercise #2 (p. 22) . In schools, the term that is often used for integration – or keeping students with disabilities in general education classes whenever possible – is “inclusion.” This activity will help bring-to-life the reasons why integrated, or inclusive, settings are now generally preferred.


LESSON 2: LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

As a culture, we have recently recognized our tendency, historically, to violate the rights of people with disabilities. This recognition has led to the enactment of several laws that guarantee rights to people with disabilities. Legal mandates help to minimize the further maltreatment of people with disabilities by carrying penalties for organizations and individuals who violate the ensured rights. There are four main laws that address the rights of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. Those laws will now be described, with particular emphasis placed on the parts of the legislation that directly impact the provision of educational services in the schools. There are three laws that are particularly complex, so they are outlined in the following chart. (Handout #3, p. 16).

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Transparency #8 , Lecture:

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or “Section 504” as it is abbreviated, prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all programs and activities offered by all agencies (including schools) receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 has a great impact upon educational services for students with disabilities. In essence, the act mandates that educational programs for students with disabilities be equal to those provided to others.

Section 504 requires that students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. A person with a disability under Section 504 is “any person who 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, 2) has a record of such an impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment” (ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, 1998). Section 504 does not specifically define the disabling conditions that qualify for specialized accommodations or services in the classroom. Overall, Section 504 mandates that educational services and facilities for students with disabilities be comparable to those provided to students without disabilities. The Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, is the government agency responsible for enforcing Section 504.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)


This landmark federal legislation, originally enacted in 1975 under the title Education for All Handicapped Children Act or Public Law 94-142, required public schools to provide an education for all children, regardless of disability . Up to that time, many schools had been selective about whom they would serve, and children and youth with multiple medical needs, severe or profound mental retardation, severe emotional disabilities, or other behaviors deemed not suitable, had been excluded.

In addition to guaranteeing a free, appropriate public education for children and youth, Public Law 94-142 mandated that each student with a disability be given an Individual Education Program (IEP)—one designed to meet the specific needs of the person. It also stated that parents should be involved in planning decisions about their child’s education, and an appeals mechanism known as “due process”


was created so parents who disagree with the terms of an IEP have a way to object. The intent of Public Law 94-142 was to establish services that would support children and youth in the regular classroom. If that was not possible, students were to be educated in the “least restrictive environment” appropriate for the individual.

In 1990 and 1997, the original law was re-authorized, bringing with it the new name of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The re-authorization of the law placed a renewed emphasis on educating children and youth with disabilities within the general education curriculum, and it reaffirmed and strengthened the rights of families to be an integral part of the educational team. The new IDEA requires that parents must receive regular reports of their child’s progress, at least as often as reports are given to parents of non-disabled children. Individuals with disabilities are to be included in statewide assessment procedures to ensure program accountability. Individual Education Programs are also required to address any behavioral issues if needed, and to include assistive technology for those individuals who need it to benefit from their education. Additionally, the new IDEA regulations provide specific discipline procedures for students with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)


The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990. This broad act has been hailed as the ultimate civil rights bill for people with disabilities. It speaks especially to the work place and the rights of individuals with disabilities to access business, industry, educational settings, and a host of other buildings generally used by the public. It also addresses accommodation – that is, the alteration of job or school settings so that people with disabilities can do the work required. It also mandates accessibility on public transportation. The passage of ADA was managed by a massive, joint effort among people with disabilities all across the United States.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Transparency #11, Handout #4 (p. 17) , Brief lecture:

This is an educational law that doesn’t apply only to students with disabilities, but it is important for all people who work within the educational system to be familiar with it. FERPA, otherwise known as the Buckley Amendment, specifically outlines record keeping and record release procedures in public schools. Under FERPA, a school district is subject to termination of federal funds if it discloses personally identifiable information in the education records of any student without proper consent or court order. Only those individuals who have a vested, educational interest in a student may have access to educational records. This includes teachers or other personnel responsible for the design, preparation, and delivery of education and related services to a child or youth with a disability. It also includes parents and school personnel who are given the responsibility of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of a student.

FERPA mandates guarantee parents the right to inspect and review school records and to request a hearing to challenge information contained in the records. Written parental consent is required for the release of any information. All of the rights guaranteed to parents through FERPA are transferred to students when they are over the age of 18.


For paraeducators, educational records can be accessed through the classroom teacher and/or the administration. However, district guidelines vary as to whether paraeducators actually have access to a student’s educational records. Although FERPA guidelines suggest that paraeducators with a vested educational interest in a child should be able to access educational records, paraeducators must check and follow district policies and procedures regarding the issue.

Special Education Policies


Individuals who have been diagnosed with a disability under IDEA regulations and are in need of specialized instruction qualify for special education services in the schools. Paraeducators are often involved in implementing teacher-developed interventions and/or collecting data on students during the pre-referral and program evaluation components of the special education process. Consequently, it is important for paraeducators to have a basic knowledge of the policies and procedures regarding special education. This handout provides a general overview of the referral, placement, and evaluation procedures for special education.


LESSON 3: ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR PARAEDUCATORS WORKING WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Ethical behavior is behavior that shows a high regard for the rights of others, regardless of whether those rights are legally insured. Ethical behavior within the paraeducator role involves taking the job seriously, working hard to provide high-quality services, and safeguarding the rights of students. We are going to discuss the three most important categories of behavior that relate to the ethics of a paraeducator.

Respectful Demeanor

Transparency #13 , Handout #6 (p. 19) . Brief lecture:

All people deserve a basic level of respect as human beings, regardless of whether you like them or agree with them. Paraeducators come across parents, students, teachers, and other colleagues who they find difficult to work with. These people may be infuriating at times, and it will be a struggle to remain calm and to show respect. However, it is still your ethical responsibility to do so. This is not to say that you are not free to disagree. You are, but you are obligated to do so in a professional, respectful manner (even if the other person is not). What are some of the signs that a person is being disrespectful? (Answer can include: patronizing demeanor, inappropriate language, and stereotyped or otherwise negative attitudes.)

Confidentiality


We reviewed students’ legal rights to privacy in the last section, when we talked about FERPA. However, confidentiality is so important that it is worth talking about again, in this section on ethics.

As part of their jobs, paraeducators have access to personal information about children and youth with and without disabilities and their families. This includes: 1) the results of formal and informal tests, 2) behavior in classrooms and other education settings, 3) performance and ability levels, 4) family relationships, 5) family income or economic status, and much more. The information may be contained in school records, learned from a student or family member, observed in class or in a student’s home, or be related by other school personnel.

It may be tempting to talk about this information – to family members at home, to friends, or to other paraeducators, for example. At other times, there may be a temptation to talk about a child’s behavior in front of other children. You may find yourself in a school or setting in which this kind of thing happens frequently and without any consequence. However, you are still ethically bound to maintain students’ privacy and to only give out personal information under certain, strict circumstances. Talk to your supervising teacher and/or see your school- or district-wide policies to find out more about these circumstances. But, as a general rule, the only people with whom it is appropriate to share a student’s personal information include personnel in the school or other agencies who require it to ensure that the rights, health, and physical well being of the child or youth are safeguarded. Even then, parental consent may first be required.


Contributing to Positive School-Community Relations

Positive school-community relations play a big role in student success. Students are usually aware if their parents and others in their community don’t respect their school, and this makes it difficult for the students to have a positive attitude toward their school. It is also hard for teachers and other school personnel to do their jobs well if they are not in touch with the communities their students come from. Paraeducators can play an important part in making a positive link between school and community.

Paraeducators can demonstrate this ethic by being a conscientious worker and a responsible citizen and by sharing their knowledge with school staff and community members. A conscientious worker is one who is dependable and cooperative, performs only the tasks within his/her domain, is willing to participate in professional development opportunities, and is able to apply constructive feedback to improving job performance. By a “responsible citizen”, we mean behaving respectably within the community. Paraeducators are members of school personnel, and, thus, need to remember that they are representatives of the school at all times (not just during the school day).

Finally, paraeducators often know more about the local community than teachers or administrators, because they are more likely to live in the community where they work. Because of their roots, paraeducators can serve as valuable resources for sharing personal knowledge of a community’s cultural heritage, traditions, and values with colleagues. Further, paraeducators can be effective liaisons between the school and community if they are familiar with the purpose, philosophy, and importance of various school programs. This will enable them to promote community involvement and increase understanding by interpreting goals and activities of the school to friends, relatives and neighbors. In this way, paraeducators can act as a true “bridge” between the school and surrounding community.

Exercise #3 (p. 23) . Divide the participants into groups of 4 or 5. Assign one of the four role-plays provided in this exercise to each group. Ask the group members to read the scenario, discuss it, and then develop a brief script that will enable them to role-play the scenario. You may want to have one or two groups prepare a positive example of how to handle the situation and another one or two groups prepare an example of behavior that would NOT be considered ethical in the situation. (When they are ready, have them deliver their role-plays, with group discussion following each one):


o What ethical principles were violated in that scenario? What are some ethical principles that were well-maintained?

o What do you think YOU would have done under those circumstances?

o What other ethical dilemmas can you imagine being faced with as a paraeducator?

CLOSING

Part of the job of paraeducator is being aware of, and upholding, the legal and ethical rights of all students. This unit has covered the basic information that you need in order to meet this requirement. Information on specific policies and procedures that apply to your job is available from your supervising teacher or other school staff.

Questions/comments on the information provided in this unit?


UNIT HANDOUTS

Handout #1: Overview of sessionHandout #2: Integrating people with disabilities into societyHandout #3: Laws that protect the rights of people with disabilitiesHandout #4: A law to protect the privacy of student recordsHandout #5: Referral, identification, & placement procedures for special educationHandout #6: Ethical guidelines for paraeducators


HANDOUT #1: OVERVIEW OF UNIT THREE

Lesson 1: Integration of People with Disabilities

A. History of maltreatmentB. Recent reaction to maltreatmentC. Two guiding principles emerged

1. The Developmental Assumption2. Normalization

D. Benefits of inclusion/integration

Lesson 2: Legal Protections for People with Disabilities

A. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973B. IDEAC. ADAD. FERPAE. Special Education policies

Lesson 3: Ethical Standards for Paraeducators working with Students with Disabilities


Closing


HANDOUT #2: INTEGRATING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INTO SOCIETY

How were people with disabilities treated throughout most of history?

Poorly! They were often segregated from the rest of society – they were sent away to live in institutions, where conditions were very bad. They were denied human rights and educational opportunities.

Why is this no longer viewed as acceptable?

Because now we know that people with disabilities can learn and grow (the “Developmental Assumption”) and that they can benefit from environments that are as “normal” as possible (the “Normalization” principle). Also, our society has recently come to value treating ALL people (regardless of ability, race, gender, etc.) with equal human rights.

Do non-disabled people benefit from the integration of people with disabilities?

Yes! Non-disabled people develop meaningful relationships with people with disabilities. They benefit from these relationships, just as they do relationships with anyone else. In addition, they learn about disabilities, and are thus able to overcome ignorance and fear. Can you think of other ways non-disabled people benefit from integration?


HANDOUT #3: LAWS THAT PROTECT THE RIGHTSOF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

IDEA Section 504 ADA

To whom does the law apply?

Public Schools(Preschool to High)

Any program or activity receiving federal funds

Public or private employment, transportation, accommodations, & telecommunications

What is the purpose of the law?

Requires schools to provide a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to all individuals

Within schools, it requires that services for students with disabilities be comparable to those provided to non-disabled students

Ensures that all persons with disabilities have the opportunity to be fully integrated into American life

Who is covered under the law?

Only those who are educationally disabled and require special education, ages 3-21

All qualified persons with disabilities regardless of whether they need special education

All qualified persons with disabilities, and qualified non-disabled persons related to a person with a disability

Who identifies disability rights under law?

School district is required to find and evaluate children with disabilities between 3 and 21

The individual with a disability must identify him or herself and provide documentation

Same as Section 504

How is disability defined?

IDEA identifies 13 specific disabilities. A child must meet qualifications for one of these to receive services

“Any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, having a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having an impairment”

Uses same criteria as Section 504. HIV and contagious and noncontagious diseases are also included.

How are services provided or outlined under the law?

Necessary special education and related services are defined by a multidisciplinary team and an Individual Education Program (IEP) is written for the student

Services, devices, or academic adjustments may be provided in the regular education setting if needed for a student to benefit from instruction

Services, devices, and accommodations are provided through an institution’s ADA coordinator based on documentation that it is needed

Who enforces the law?

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

The Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education

Primarily U.S. Department of Justice


HANDOUT #4: A LAW TO PROTECT THEPRIVACY OF STUDENT RECORDS

The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA):

Protects the privacy of parents & students Requires that every school district have a written policy, explaining

standards for keeping educational records confidential A school district receiving federal funds may lose those funds if it discloses

personally identifiable information in a student’s education records without the proper consent

The following rights are automatically granted to parents through FERPA:o The right to inspect and review school recordso Opportunity for a hearing to challenge recordso Information that could identify the student is strictly controlledo Parents’ written consent is required for the release of informationo Rights are transferred to students after the age of 18

Those who may access records without explicit written consent of parents:

Teachers or other personnel responsible for the design, preparation, and delivery of education and related services

Personnel who are responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of a student

Paraeducators may access educational records through the classroom teacher and administration, as the local school district permits

Student is Educated in General Education Classroom


HANDOUT #5: Referral, Identification, & Placement Procedures for Special Education

Student Enters School

Teacher Thinks a Child May Have a Problem

Problem ???? Teacher/Professional Conducts Screening

No Problem

Pre-referral Intervention(Adapted assignments, behavior management plans, etc.)

Referral for Special Education

No ProblemFormal Assessment

(Observations, Work Samples, Test Data, Interviews)

Admissions and Release (ARC) Committee Meeting(Parents, Psychologist, Teachers, Administrator)

Classification of Problem by ARC Does not meetqualifications for adisability as outlinedby IDEA

Eligible for Special Education Services (According to 13 categories of disability outlined in IDEA)

Educated in general

Placement in Special Education & education class with specially& Development of Individual Education Program (IEP) designed instruction

Educated in special education class (ie. Resource Room, Self-Contained Class)

Individual Education Programs (IEPs) are reviewed and updated annually.

Students in special education are re-evaluated every 3 years.


HANDOUT #6: ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR PARAEDUCATORS

“Ethics” – showing a high regard for the rights of others

Important Ethical Principles for the Paraeducator Role:

Maintain a respectful demeanor –

Behave professionally by remaining calm, using appropriate language, not acting sarcastic, etc.

Do this even if the other person (parent, student, teacher) is not!

Maintain confidentiality –

Keep student information private! Don’t speak about it to other professionals (except on a need-to-know basis), to your friends or family, or to (or in front of) students.

This principle is easy to violate – be careful!

Contribute to positive school-community relations –

Convey to community members a positive attitude about your school by focusing on its strengths and positive characteristics.

Show a good work ethic, that will reflect positively on you & your school.


UNIT EXERCISES

Exercise #1: Thinking about rightsExercise #2: The value of integration/inclusionExercise #3: Ethical issues for the paraeducator


EXERCISE #1: THINKING ABOUT RIGHTS

Directions: Read the following passage, which represents one paraeducator’s private thoughts. Then write down your reactions. Record all your reactions, then try to organize them so that you can contribute to classroom discussion.

“What difference does it make if I try to honor Melvin’s rights? He’s in a wheelchair, and he’s pretty retarded. I don’t think he would even know if he didn’t have all his rights. I have a friend who says that people like him ought to be put away someplace. She says it would be better for Melvin. If he were with other people like him, people wouldn’t make fun of him and he wouldn’t have to go around failing all the time. The very idea of putting him in a general education classroom or thinking he can work in a real job is crazy!”

Reactions:


EXERCISE #2: THE VALUE OF INTEGRATION/INCLUSION

Rowena’s Story

Rowena Madison is the only child of Mattie and Luther Madison. She is now 18 years old. Rowena was born to the Madisons when Mattie was 42 and Luther was 52. They had been married for 20 years when the pregnancy occurred, and they were ecstatic about it. It had seemed to them that they would never have children and, now, here she was! In many ways, Rowena met all their expectations. She was a friendly, happy baby. She liked people a lot and also seemed to enjoy the company of her mother and dad when just the three of them were at home.

The Madisons live on a large farm about 15 miles from Gaston, a community of 2,232 people. Rowena attended a small rural elementary-middle school in her early years. The teachers worked with her very effectively, but did tell her parents that she was “slow” to catch on to new ideas and that she might have some difficulty with school when she moved on to Consolidated High School. The Madisons had really not noticed the “slowness” a lot because they had no other children with whom to compare Rowena. They were concerned, however, at Rowena’s “general clumsiness” and the fact that she did not seem to be able to pay attention to any one thing for more than a minute or so. When consulted, the family physician said she had “a little cerebral palsy” and some “hyperactivity.” He gave her Ritalin until she was 14 or 15 years old, and then discontinued it.

When Rowena was 14, it was determined that she should “go into town for school.” Even though she had not completed all the learning requirements for the 8th grade, her teacher told the Madisons she was getting bigger than the other children and she would benefit from the “special education” activities offered in the town school. When she moved to the new school, she took beginning typing and home economics in general education and has done fairly well.

The staff involved with Rowena liked her a lot. She was friendly and easy to get along with. The other students elected her May Queen and she was a favorite of all. It has now been determined that she is ready to find employment in the community, with the support of a job coach.

Listed below are reasons why integrated settings are effective. Under each statement, list the ways in which you think Rowena and her peers, family, and the community have profited.

1) There will be opportunities for Rowena to learn from other non-disabled youth.

2) There will be opportunities for Rowena to learn from an integrated environment.

3) There will be opportunities for other non-disabled youth to learn from Rowena.


EXERCISE #3: ETHICAL ISSUES FOR PARAEDUCATORS

DIRECTIONS: Read the following scenario and discuss it among your group members. Then, write a script for a role-play of the scenario, showing how your group decided to handle the relevant ethical issues.

SITUATION 1

Lurleen Thomas is a paraeducator who works in a middle school. Stanley Parsons, one of the students in the class Lurleen is assigned to, attends the same church she does.

Timothy Smith is the new, young minister at the church who has made counseling youth and their parents an important part of his ministry. This is a new program for the church because the last minister was quite elderly and did not see this as part of his role. One evening after a church dinner, Reverend Smith asks Lurleen if she can provide him with some information about how she thinks Stanley is doing in school – he understands from Stanley’s parents that he has not been doing well academically, frequently plays hooky, and has been caught smoking on school grounds on several occasions. Reverend Smith is obviously concerned about assisting Stanley and his family. He is also very charming and persistent. Lurleen has a great deal of respect for him and thinks this is an important service for the church to provide. Role-play a conversation between Lurleen and Reverend Smith.


EXERCISE #3 (cont.): ETHICAL ISSUES FOR PARAEDUCATORS


SITUATION 2

The school board has completed work on this year’s budget and it will be voted on at the next election. The state has reduced its contribution to the district and local property taxes are going up. Justine Smith is a paraeducator. Every time she runs into her neighbors, the Formaneks, they start to complain about their increased taxes. They have a long list of what is wrong with the schools. They are particularly upset about the raises that are proposed for all school employees including the superintendent, teachers, paraeducators, and other support staff. It is the strongly held view of the Formaneks that no one deserves an increase in pay since the schools are so poorly run, kids can’t read, nor are they properly prepared to find or hold jobs after they graduate. In addition, they can see no earthly reason to spend their hard-earned income on kids who have disabilities. These services are just too expensive. Role-play a conversation between Justine and the Formaneks.




SITUATION 3

Jerome Liu is a new paraeducator who is assigned to a third-grade class. Before he started to work, he was told by the principal that he was required to maintain confidentiality about the lives and records of the students he works with. He has just walked into the teacher’s lounge where he encounters Mrs. Jones, a fourth-grade teacher who has been at the school for more than 35 years. She knows most of the families and frequently has something to say about their lifestyles and the way they raise their children. She also believes that if some students are “trouble-makers,” their brothers and sisters will be as well. This year, she has Oscar Patterson in her class and he is behaving exactly like his brother Billy did two years before. She knows that Rachel, their younger sister, is in Jerome’s class. She starts the conversation by reporting on the things Oscar did today to “make her crazy.” She pushes Jerome to talk about Rachel. Jerome is very fond of Rachel and thinks she is wonderful. He is taken aback that Mrs. Jones talks so openly about her students, asks him so many personal questions about Rachel, and does not seem to believe him when he says Rachel is very bright. He is also acutely aware that Mrs. Jones is admired and respected by the principal and parents. Role-play this situation.




SITUATION 4

Eva Hernandez is a paraeducator assigned to a transitional training program for teenagers. At the present time, she is preparing Keith Beeman to work in the housekeeping department of a local hotel. Two of the employees start to ask her questions. At first, they are about the program and easy for her to handle. But then they start to ask personal questions about Keith and why he acts the way he does. One of them thinks she even has some information that will help Eva because she lives next door to the Beemans and has a pretty good idea about what is wrong with Keith, and why he behaves the way he does. She is also upset because the Beemans don’t control their children, let them “run wild” through the neighborhood, and never mow their yard. Role play the situation.


APPENDIX: COMMON ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONSIN EDUCATION

CST................Child Study TeamCFR................Code of Federal RegulationsDD..................Developmentally DelayedDOB...............Date of Birthe.g...................for exampleESA................Educational Staff Associate (i.e., RN, OT, counselor, SLP, psychologist)EBD................Emotional/Behavioral DisabilityESD................Educational Service DistrictESY................Extended School YearFAPE..............Free Appropriate Public EducationFVE................Functional Vocational EvaluationGPA................Grade Point AverageIDEA..............Individuals with Disabilities Education ActIDELR............Individuals with Disabilities Education Law Reporti.e....................that isIEP..................Individualized Education ProgramIHP.................Individualized Health PlanIFSP...............Individualized Family Service PlanIQ...................Intelligence QuotientLAP................Learning Assistance ProgramLEA................Local Education AgencyLRE................Least Restrictive EnvironmentNA..................Not ApplicableNPA................Nonpublic AgencyOSEP..............Office of Special Education ProgramsOSPI...............Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionOT..................Occupational Therapy/TherapistPE...................Physical EducationPLEP..............Present Levels of Educational PerformancePT...................Physical Therapy/TherapistS.Ct.................Supreme CourtSDs.................Standard DeviationsSection 504.....Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973SECVS...........Special Education Compliance Verification SystemSLD................Specific Learning DisabilitySRR................Student Record ReviewSTO................Short-Term ObjectiveUSDE/OCR U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights


UNIT TRANSPARENCIES

Transparency #1: Title pageTransparency #2: Instructional objectives for training sessionTransparency #3: Unit OverviewTransparency #4: Integration of people with disabilities: Historical overviewTransparency #5: Integration of people with disabilities: The beginning of integrationTransparency #6: Integration of people with disabilities: Two emerging principlesTransparency #7: Integration of people with disabilities: Benefits of inclusion for non-disabled peopleTransparency #8: Legal protections: Section 504Transparency #9: Legal protections: IDEATransparency #10: Legal protections: ADATransparency #11: Legal protections: FERPATransparency #12: Legal protections: Special Education ProceduresTransparency #13: Ethical standards: Definition & important paraeducator ethicsTransparency #14: Ethical standards: Important ethical principles for paraeducators (cont.)

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