Being a Substitute Paraeducator is not easy... Not even a little bit! It's very rewarding though and I have worked with a lot of really amazing kids!

You may be asking yourself, "What is a Paraeducator?"

We are basically a teaching aide for special education students.  They usually don't have a teaching certificate and are considered "classified staff".  They have experience working with people that have a disability and they have passed a Paraprofessional Assessment Test of knowledge required to teach students in Kindergarten thru 12th grade.

Here's a quick summary of what I do as a substitute Para:

Assist in teaching special education students ages 5 to 22 (Kindergarten thru Graduation & Beyond) with varying degrees of learning difficulties and/or disabilities.  These are students in standard grade level classes that just need extra help to understand lessons and keep up with their class. Accommodating different learning styles and deficiencies with customized lesson plans. Assisting with mostly language arts and math lessons to build confidence and understanding of concepts being taught. 

Working with small groups or one on one, we teach modified grade level lessons, demonstrate and answer their questions until the student(s) are comfortable with the subject matter and can move on to more complicated work. 

Working in Lifeskills programs at Primary, Elementary, Middle and High School levels is a bit more involved as students need help with eating, writing or other things due to their disability. Lifeskills is comprised of students with moderate to severe disabilities that are not in standard grade level classes due to an intellectual deficiency. They are taught in a self-contained environment by a teacher and a team of Paraeducator support personnel.  Some students require a one on one aide at school while others need less assistance (1 Para to 3 or 4 students).

Lifeskills at the primary and Elementary levels can be very challenging. Teaching very young students with overwhelming sensory issues combined with learning deficiencies and very little self control is difficult.  Students have to learn how to communicate their needs and coping skills for when things aren't going exactly how they want. 

Teaching this age group requires a lot of special skills like creative problem solving ability; problems pop up unexpectedly, they must be solved quickly before they derail the entire class or it escalates beyond the class.

Students are young and some are still learning basic things like using the bathroom independently, how to talk or communicate and many are non-verbal. Therefore, meltdowns occur often and need to be de-escalated quickly and safety. Managing the classroom, remaining calm and in control while under stress, conflict resolution and negotiation skills are absolutely necessary and are exercised daily. Other skills used are patience, compassion, ability to listen, relate to the students, build rapport, have fun with lessons but also know when to be firm and always remain in charge with a calm demeanor.

Lifeskills at the middle and high school levels are more focused on promoting independence and transitioning into adulthood. Teaching basic safety, hygiene, cooking for themselves, cleaning, social skills, job skills, more speech and communication, banking, how to get around using public transportation, how to get a job or volunteer in the community and other valuable life skills.

We go on many community outings like to the public library for research, the grocery store to shop for items we need for a class cooking project and other exciting places in town.

What I love about working with these kids is how their faces light up whenever they catch on to a new concept I'm teaching or whenever they realize they just accomplished something they have been struggling to do.  It's so exciting and rewarding.