Are you considering a career in the field of education? Do you love working with children? A job as a paraprofessional could be a wonderful place to start. Paraprofessionals or ParaPros, are also known as teacher assistants, teacher aides, or paraeducators. These are educational workers not licensed to teach but perform related tasks supporting certified educational professionals. They usually work alongside fully licensed lead teachers, but they also have many opportunities to work more independently with students.
Paraprofessionals usually serve as teacher assistants, helping teachers manage their students and the classroom. They often work in childcare facilities, private schools and public school systems. They help oversee classroom activities and provide students with one-on-one guidance with their lessons. They also help teachers grade papers and prepare lesson plans, tests, and homework. If a student has a behavior intervention plan, a paraprofessional may observe the student and take notes about their behavior during the day. These notes are written in the anecdotal record and may be used to provide more insight into the student's behavior.
Some paraprofessionals work with students who have physical disabilities. They help move, feed, or take a child to the bathroom. They may also assist the school nurse in providing students with medical support. Other duties and responsibilities of paraprofessionals include:
Reinforcing lessons that the teacher presented by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups
Helping teachers with conducting lessons and developing materials
Enforcing class and school rules and regulations to teach students proper behavior
Helping teachers track attendance and grade assignments, quizzes, and summative tests
Supervising students in the class, between classes, during recess and lunch and on field trips
Successful paraprofessionals have many qualifications and skills. Flexibility, patience and genuinely caring for students and their success are all necessary qualities for paraprofessionals. If this career interests you, Southwest Regional Adult Education (SRAE) provides a tuition-free program to prepare adults for certification and employment as a Paraprofessional. To start your enrollment, you can call Susan Harris or Jennifer Sykes at the SRAE regional office at 276-889-5424.