When we’re working with kids who struggle to learn, there are several things at play within us:

• Compassion – who doesn’t remember times when we were trying to learn something and found it hard?  And when we remember, don’t those awful feelings of frustration and panic come right back up?
• Desire to nurture – you don’t have to be a parent to feel that primal urge to take care of, to coddle and to make things easy and lovely for someone.
• Urgency – whether you’re in a separate classroom or in the middle of a group of gen. ed kids, there are deadlines and we can’t spend 6 hours learning how to carry and borrow right this minute.
• Curiosity and interest – I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated by how my students’ minds process information and learn new things.  When I’m working directly with a child, I am utterly absorbed with what I’m seeing and hearing from them – even if what I’m hearing is silence.  I’m watching and noting the smallest details, and putting those details together with others and reframing my picture of the kiddo.
• Jumping ahead – There’s a part of me that is always looking forward to the desired outcome, the longterm one.  As I observe and show a child what to do now, I am thinking about how to release the responsibility fully back to him or her, and what I want to see him/her do. 

Many of these factors war with one another, and I think it’s a learned skill to master them sufficiently to be able to give just the proper support to an individual or small group of kids.  I often have to deal with the “urgency” factor by mentally chunking what we’re doing into smaller increments and focusing on just getting one tiny step done now, with the rest to come later. 

I frequently have to remind myself that I’m not the one who is struggling right now, so get over it.  And it is absolutely essential that I control my mothering instinct, because if I didn’t, I’d be an enabler or a crutch, not a teacher.

More damage is done to kids by helping them than by not.   That may sound far-fetched, but I believe it to be so.   We’re often so busy sheltering and scaffolding and supporting kids that we forget to release responsibility back to them, and as a result, kids are dependent on us.     

Who hasn’t worked with a child who quite obviously doesn’t know how to persevere and try a bunch of different ways to solve a problem?  Who hasn’t encountered a kiddo who says “I dunno” within 2 seconds of realizing he doesn’t know the answer?  What about those kids we see, in every school, who are passive learners, expecting everything to come to them, rather than reaching out and grabbing at knowledge? 

On my caseload over the years, I’ve seen quite a few.  In some years, they have approached the majority of my students; in others, about a third.

It’s not the kids’ fault.  It’s ours.  We’ve helped too much in the wrong way.

This doesn’t mean that we need to stop providing support .  It means that we need to change the manner in which we support, and be ever-vigilant about the effects of our help.  

Watch yourself.  Catch yourself if you:

• Find yourself giving the answer when the child should be finding it himself.
• Are jumping in to a silence instead of giving a child extra time to think and respond.
• Are cutting corners to get through a task with a child faster than he or she can process or work
• Are feeling frustrated and impatient – maybe you’ve taken on too much with the child
• Think, even subconsciously, that getting it right is more important than learning it. 

We are all susceptible to lapses, of course.  But the more we let the child do the thinking , reasoning, puzzling and work, the more he will be learning.

1.  Personal attention.  Children who are independent and self-motivated are a joy in the classroom, but they are the exception.  Most need prompting and pep talks to stay on task and do their best work.

2. Encouragement.  Most kids need to know that someone cares if they do the work, finish the assignment, understand the lesson.

3. Reassurance.  Being shown  that they can do it, get it, learn it.  Kids who have struggled and become accustomed to low grades easily internalize the idea that they just aren’t capable.

4. Focus.  So many kids struggle with attention deficits, some simply can’t stay on task without someone to redirect them frequently.

5. Repetition.  The para can repeat, in a variety of ways as necessary, what the teacher is explaining in the lesson.  This addresses the various learning styles of the students, and gives them more opportunities to “get it.”

6. Illustration.  Children, especially if they have auditory processing deficits, can’t visualize what is being described.  I use my white board to draw pictures, especially in math class, or in social studies.

7. Demonstration.  If they see something right in front of them, not all the way across the room where the teacher is, it is more likely to be remembered.

8. Motivation.  Exactly what motivates a particular child, or causes him to be unmotivated, can differ.  But if they like you they will want to please you.

9. Reward.  If the teacher agrees, some kids really respond well to the positive reinforcement of some sort of reward for doing their best.   I usually use cheap prizes that they earn with stickers.

10. Independence.  Never forget that what you are working toward is not a child who does well when attached to the umbilical cord of an aide, but a kid who continues to do well when the aide steps away to help another student.

(Reposted by the author from Paraeducator Central.)

By Richard Finegan

         You may call me a paraeducator, a paraprofessional, a one-on-one aide, a classroom assistant, a special education technician, even a teacher’s aide (though I am there for the student, not the teacher) but please don’t call me a shadow or describe what I do as shadowing.

         The term shadow suggests that the aide never leaves the side of the child. That describes a bodyguard, not a paraeducator. I would not be doing my job if I hovered as close to my student as Malia Obama’s Secret Service agent.

         True, I am what used to be called (and I still call) a one-on-one aide, and I do move from classroom to classroom with the same child. But my job is to help that student become more independent, more self-regulated and self-sufficient. I’ve never heard anyone explain how this can happen if I am constantly elbow-to-elbow with my kid.

         A better analogy to what we do might be a sheepdog: Constantly alert and watching his or her charges but only moving in and out again as circumstances require. Yes, this analogy works better; shepherding is an improvement over shadowing. Even so, I don’t think I’m quite ready to be called a sheepdog either. Smile.

         This is more than just a semantic issue. When others refer to me as a shadow or to what I do as shadowing, they consciously or unconsciously suggest that I should be sticking like glue to my student and that I am perhaps not doing my job properly if I am halfway across the classroom taking notes or, more often, walking around interacting with other students.

          Worse even is what it suggests to new paraeducators trying to learn to do what we do. What they should be hearing is: Get up. Step back. Give your student some room to grow!

            Parents of special needs kids and the people whose job it is to educate those kids must stay in regular communication.  No question.

            That point of regular contact is often between the parent and the paraeducator:

• The para often meets the bus or is waiting when the child is dropped off or picked up.
• The para is often more accessible than the teacher(s) or the case manager.
• The parent may think it is the para (who works most closely with the child) who most needs to know that Susie is agitated this morning or Joe didn’t get his Rice Krispies.

            True as all these things may be they cannot be allowed to substitute for direct parent and teacher contact, especially when the teacher is also the child’s case manager, responsible for implementing the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

            The paraeducator should not (even when he or she is willing) be placed in the position of buffer between the parent and teacher. 

            The teacher needs to know the parents’ concerns first hand, not filtered through the para.  The parents need to feel confident that their concerns are actually acknowledged by the teacher.

            With the approval of the case managers, I have in the past sent home daily with my kid (one-on-one) a “Communication Log” (using a composition notebook) that regularly addressed only homework, projects, upcoming tests, etc. 

            Whenever I included a note about behavior, problems, or other matters unrelated to assignments or tests, I always showed it first to the teacher.  Whenever the parent put a reply or a message in the log, I shared that with the teacher as well.

            Occasionally, teachers would use this log to directly communicate with the parents because they knew (1) that it was actually read on a regular basis and (2) that notes in a backpack can and do get frequently lost or overlooked.

            I have alternatively, on a several times a week basis (and again with the approval of the case manager), sent by email to the parents a brief “point sheet” report about how well a child was meeting his personal goals that week (turning in homework, completing classwork, and the like).  Copies of these emails were routinely sent to the case manager.

            Make sure the teacher(s) and case manager know whatever communication you are having with the parents and, in a friendly yet professional way, suggest to the parents when appropriate that “maybe this is something you need to share directly with the teacher.”

            “I’ll tell the teacher” should be a rare, not a regular thing said by the paraeducator to the parent.

Paraeducators–classroom aides in special education, including one-on-one aides–can do any number of things to help a child.  But a recent Google search I ran across got me thinking in terms of 10 (not to be confused a David Letterman Top Ten List).  All of this needs to be coordinated with your teachers of course, but here are my suggestions:

1. Never underestimate the child’s abilities. I like to observe a  new student for a couple of days before I read his or her IEP so I can see how he or she  compares to the other students, what the child’s behavior is like, etc, before I see what others have observed.   Be sure to read the “Present Levels of Performance” in the IEP so you know what they can already do.  Do not assume a child can’t do something just because he or she is in special education or is identified with autism or a “learning disability.”

2. Focus on the child’s strengths, not on the child’s deficits. Is he a visual learner?  Kinesthetic?  Does she type well?  Is he crazy about animals?  Does she love Harry Potter?  Find out as much as you can about the children’s areas of interest and strength and use these in creative ways to help them succeed at tasks or in subjects where they may have difficulty.

3. Build the child’s confidence. You do this not with false praise but with an honest appraisal of his or her strengths and successes, acknowledgement of areas in which the child can improve, and by giving him or her opportunities to practice new skills not yet mastered.

4. Allow the child to make mistakes.  We are quick to tell kids they learn from their mistakes and just as quick to not allow them to make them. It is tempting for an aide, especially a one-on-one, to correct the child’s work on the spot.  Don’t edit the child’s assignments for him.  It does NOT reflect poorly on you as an aide if the child’s work is imperfect.  It does reflect poorly on you if the child’s work is actually your work.

5. Gradually remove supports (the level of  assistance you provide a child).  Do not get stuck providing a certain level of support because it is comfortable for you and the child.  If you help with word processing, make the child take over more of that task.  If you reduce the assigned math homework, gradually increase the amount the child is expected to do.  I don’t throw the term lazy around carelessly, but I know (when I was new at this) that I have caused at least one child to become lazy because it was easier for me to do some things than deal with his unwillingness to do them himself.

6. Help the child get and stay organized. If you’re like me, you may first have to get organized yourself.  Make sure the older children use a calendar (agenda, planner) to keep track of assignments.  Color code folders to keep track of homework in different subject areas.  Whatever it takes.  But always coordinate with parents because no organization will work for long if it isn’t reinforced both at home and at school.

7. Don’t do for the child what his or her classmates routinely do for themselves.  Assuming no physical impediment, of course, make the child take responsibility for having daily supplies, following classroom routines, turning in homework, etc.  If the child depends on you for these things, you have failed.

8. Give the child responsibility for composing any writing assignment.  Writing is a two-step process: (1) putting thought into words–composing–and (2) putting words into text–typing or handwriting.  If a student cannot or will not handwrite or word process, it may be permissible to have the child dictate to you.  In that case, take down what he or she dictates word for word.  Ask where to put in punctuation.  Don’t correct as you go.  Let the child read what was dictated and make his or her own revisions.  Only then would I suggest any corrections or improvements.  Gradually remove this level of support.

9. Allow the child to interact with peers, even if those interactions aren’t always positive.  Some of our kids will have social interaction issues and do poorly in partner or group work.  If we work with them one-on-one we will want to minimize their friction with other students.  We should resist the temptation to step in and mediate all disputes or difficulties.  Let them learn from working through these problems.

10. Do not get into a power struggle with a child.  Back off.  Don’t threaten consequences you aren’t prepared to impose.  Keep your composure.  (Remember why you do this.  These kids are great!)

Remember your role is to help the child become independent.  When the child no longer needs you, you have succeeded!

         What are the qualifications of a good special education paraeducator, especially one working with children on the autism spectrum?

         Abby Twyman has a masters in education and publishes a blog called Autism Community.  She wrote a few months ago about her experiences in hiring a new paraeducator for her classroom:

http://www.autism-community.com/paraeducator-qualifications/

         Here’s Abby’s bottom line:  education, experience, motivation, and creativity are good qualities in a para, but are not sufficient…

…the person also must have HIGH expectations of children with autism no matter how impacted they seem to be, they must be SELF-ASSURED and assert themselves with the child in a kind and caring way, they must be overly ORGANIZED and have a plan before working with a child, and they must know how to ADJUST to the ever-changing demands of children with autism and public school.

         I could not agree more.  You should expect  the child to achieve just as much (if not more) as the child beside him who does not have autism .  You must be self assured in dealing with the child (who will quickly recognize any uncertainty or inconsistency).  You must also be self assured in dealing with other adults in the classroom, including the teacher(s).  You should be organized and help the child to become organized.  And you should be able to adjust, on the fly, in the heat of battle as it were, because the world of a child with autism is dynamic and ever-changing.

         I am a para-educator; specifically, a Spec Ed Tech; a special education classroom aide whose job exists only because of a legal document (the Individualized Education Plan or IEP) that says one or more special education students in the classes to which I am assigned need additional classroom support. 

         That is, they need more help than can be provided by the classroom teacher alone.

         In my particular case, I “shadow” one student to all his classes.  He’s in general education 100% of the time, because his difficulties are not academic.

         We used to be called one-on-one aides but our school district, in its infinite wisdom, declared “There are no more one-on-one aides!”  This was loudly announced in a large public meeting of para-educators I attended two years ago, even while I was assigned full time to one student, which continued until the end of that year. 

          For most of last year, I was again assigned full time to one student.  So far this year I have been assigned full time to one student.  And the person who loudly declared in a public meeting of para-educators that “There are no more one-on-one aides!” is still working as some mid-level administrator for the same school district. 

         Go figure.  She doesn’t even know what the hell is going on in the classrooms of the schools she administers. But she knows the party line!  Bet she’s a Republican. (Did I just say that?  Sorry.)

So anyway, where was I.  Oh, yes…

         I don’t really care what they call me.  Or whether the principal of the school I’m assigned to even recognizes me as a member of his or her staff.  (I’m convinced more than one thought I was a substitute teacher which is why they kept seeing me on campus.)

         Now in my seventh year, at my fifth school and almost all in general ed classes, I pretty much operate under the radar, usually reporting infrequently to one vice principal (we have three in our high schools) and otherwise being left to fend for myself.

         I learned early that the very last person from whom to seek advice about what your role is as a para-educator in the general education classroom is the general education teacher.  They will frequently think:

• You’re there to make their copies.
• You’re there to accompany kids to the office when they give them a referral for some misbehavior.
• You’re there to take attendance.
• You’re there to post grades.
• You’re there to keep the “special ed kids” quiet so they can teach the other students.

         While this is not a universal attitude by far, it is certainly common.  Here’s my advice if you are new to this and don’t exactly know what you should be doing: 

1)  Never forget that you only have a job because a certain kid (or kids) in that classroom have IEPs.  Get copies of the IEPs  to learn precisely what additional supports which children need.  If they aren’t routinely provided to you, insist on them.  You cannot do your job if you don’t know what particular support you are supposed to provide to each child.

2)  Once you have identified those kids with IEPs and what they need, then you proceed to help any kid in that class who needs help.  You do not unnecessarily segregate your kids from the rest of the class and single them out (unnecessarily) from everyone else.  Ideally, the kids without IEPs should not know who you are there to help, or perhaps even why you are there at all.

3)  Remember that you are not the teacher’s personal assistant.  Sometimes easier said than done, but if a general ed teacher is treating you like a “girl Friday,” then you should contact your supervisor and express your concerns, always in terms of what you are not able to do for your kids because of what you are being asked to do for the teacher.

         We may not be certificated, but we are professionals with a legal role to play (much like the speech pathologist or the occupational therapist) determined by the students’ IEPs. 

         We deserve to be treated as co-workers in the classroom, not as go-fers.