5 Ways I Utilize My Paraprofessionals to Provide Academic Support
My paras are truly awesome. I have been blessed with paras who have stayed with me through thick and thin. We have been together so long, we are usually a well-oiled machine. I’m truly thankful for all their hard work. They are an extension of my instruction and provide support in a variety of ways. Here are my top 5 ways I utilize my paraprofessionals to provide academic support for our students.
- Zone Defense
My classroom is divided into groups of desks, with each group having its own name that ties in with the school theme for the year. One year, our theme was food, and I had the Tacos, Hamburgers and Pickles as group names. If I am providing whole group instruction with structured notes or activities, I assign different zones to each of my paras. They know to stay with a certain group and provide additional help as needed.
2. Specific Assignments
This category falls into two main types of specific assignments. First, I have students who really work well with a particular para. I will assign a para to be with that student during certain class periods or times of the day. Second, I have students who have needs that require greater physical or mental energy. In this case, I rotate my paras on a schedule to keep them fresh.
3. Inclusion Support
My paras provide inclusion support in general education classes for our students. Over the years, they have become quite skilled at helping the general education teachers meet the needs of these students.
4. Divided Classroom/Pull Out
While some school districts have more than one teacher for Life Skills in order for the group to be divided by instructional level, my district does not. I’m the only teacher at the junior high level. Because of this, there are times I need my level 1 learners to be working on specific skills without distractions. This is where my wonderful paras come into play. They can complete structured activities or assignments with these students while I am working with the other group.
5. Centers
We have a block schedule for ELAR and math. Because I have the gift of so much time to work on these subjects, I can break the period into smaller chunks for centers. Each para is in charge of monitoring or assisting students at their own center. We all get the chance to work with all the students throughout the period.
Each of these categories requires careful planning and preparation. Stay tuned for future blog posts as we explore how to set up paras for success as they provide instructional support for students.
