Session III: On-the-Job Training with Your Paraeducator PDE 2954 Live Session
Session III: On-the-Job Training with Your Paraeducator
PDE 2954
Live Session
Learner Outcomes for Session III: Review observation, modeling, &
providing effective feedback Review data collection methods
& recording objective observations
Discuss the use of instructional & behavioral prompting
Complete a needs assessment with your Paraeducator & discuss the results during a Centra Session
Assess your Paraeducator with the “Paraeducator Quality Rubric”
PDE 2954
Making Time? Did you meet with your paraeducator at least once this week?
On-the-Job Training
French (2001)
PDE 2954
How can you mentor
your paraeducat
or?
17 Ways to Mentor Our Paraeducator
Set expectations for
the paraeducator’s
performance.
Offer challenging ideas.
Encourage ethical and professional behavior.
Help build self-
confidence.
Offer support.
Mentoring Paraeducators
Actively listen.
Teach by example.
Mentoring Paraeducators
Provide growth
experience. Ask questions and give explanations.
Mentoring Paraeducators
Coach the
paraeducator. Encourage the paraeducator.
Mentoring Paraeducators
Inspire the
paraeducator. Share critical knowledge.
Mentoring Paraeducators
Assist, observe, and
demonstrate. Direct and delegate
effectively.
Counsel when necessary.
Give clear, concise
directions.
Monitoring Paraeducator Performance through
Observation
PDE 2954
Fundamentals of Observation
Unfocused Observation
Focused Observation
What is Formative Feedback? Feedback occurs when
the teacher provides information to the paraeducator about how well the he or she performs a certain skill or strategy and understands the concept.
Think of formative feedback as en route checkpoints,
done frequently. Formative feedback should ongoing and helpful.
The best feedback is descriptive
rather than evaluative. When
giving feedback, be as specific, as
constructive, and as supportive as
possible.
PDE 2954
When can you provide formative feedback?
Tools to Help You Help Your Paraeducator
Feedback forms found in Session 3 in Moodle
PDE 2954
Supervisor Checklist
Gerlach, K. 2007, Pacific Training Associates, Seattle, WA; used
with permission.
Gerlach, K. 2007,
Pacific Training
Associates,
Seattle, WA; used
with permission.
Feedback Form Checklist
Data Collection?
When did I include my para in data
collection?
When could I include my para in
data collection?
Data Collection & Objective Observations
Why should your Paraeducator collect data?
PDE 2954
Showing our paraeducators how
to provide instructional prompts to students
is a method of collecting authentic
data. Recording
these objective observations provides valuable
information for the
TOR (“teacher-of-
record”).
See sample
data collection
handouts in
Session 3 of
Moodle.
More Tools to Help You Help Your ParaeducatorInstructional
PromptingDaily NotationsNeeds AssessmentParaeducator
Quality Rubric
PDE 2954
Instructional Prompts We all respond to cues Cues are prompts that
help us remember when or how to do certain things
Cues move from least (“natural”) to most intrusive (“full physical” cue)
PDE 2954
M.B. Doyle, “The Paraprofessional’s Guide to the Inclusive Classroom—Working as a Team,” 2nd Edition, Brookes Publishing, 2002, pp. 53-57
Instructional Prompting
When learning a new skill, some students need a prompt added to the naturally occurring cue in order to help them initiate a response when participating in an activity or routine.
PDE 2954
Types of Instructional Prompts
NaturalGesturalIndirect VerbalDirect VerbalModelPartial PhysicalFull Physical
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Types of Data to Collect
Prompts range from “Least”
(Natural) to “Most” (Full
Physical) Prompts
PDE 2954
A= AntecedentB= BehaviorC= Consequence(s)Teachers provide guidance about specific behavior management strategies & student characteristics
Paraeducators monitor student progress & give feedback to teachers.
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Blank D
aily
Notatio
ns
Sheet for
reco
rdin
g data
on a si
ngle
student o
r a
group o
f
students
.
Sample Daily Notations
sheet to share with
your paraeducator on
how to record data on
students. Notice that
all the different
prompts used are
abbreviated. This
helps the teacher see
how intrusive the
paraeducator had to
be by delineating the
type of prompts given.
Why Keep Track of the Types of Prompting Cues You Use with Students? Knowing the type and
frequency of prompt(s) used can signal to the teacher a student’s level of understanding of concepts or skills being taught
If data is collected 2-3 times a week per student, this gives the teacher a more accurate picture of student progress towards IEP goals and benchmarks
PDE 2954
Sample form for monitoring on-task
and off-task behavior
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Conducting a Needs Assessment
Why do a needs assessment with your Paraeducator ?
Paraeducator Needs
Assessment Areas:
Delivery of Instruction
Activity Preparation/
Follow-up
Supervision of Group of
Students
Behavior management
Ethics
Team
Participation/Membership
Clerical
Specific Topics/Other
PDE 2954
SupervisingParaeducators
“Assessing
Paraeducator Quality”
Rubric*
~ Includes 5 components
demonstrating “exemplary,”
“average” or “problematice”
practices of paraeducators.
1. Personal Characteristics
2. Collaboration
3. Classroom Practice
4. Context
5. Philosophy
*Adapted from “Assessing Co-teaching
Quality,” by Dr. Marilyn Friend, used with
permission, 2009.
PDE 2954
Confident in my ability.
Unsure of my ability.
Not applicable in my current
position.
Defining the paraeducator’s roles & responsibilities
Training the paraeducators to fulfill roles & responsibilities
Observing & providing feedback regarding paraeducator performance
Encouraging ongoing collaboartion with the paraeducator
Moodle Assignments Session 3
Read article“Self-Management for Staff Development – Professional & Paraprofessional”
Discussion ForumParaeducator Needs
Assessment
Paraeducator Orientation Notebook Assignment
Feedback Form
“The teacher is the instructional leader. Ethical and professional guidelines must be followed. Teachers who supervise paraeducators are responsible for establishing a personalized job description that includes the tasks the paraeducator will perform, where they will occur, individual student needs, materials required, and instructional strategies to be used…Teachers need to emphasize the importance of working together as a team. A paraeducator’s job is not done in isolation. A paraeducator assists and supports teacher-directed instruction.”
PDE 2954
Heller & Gerlach, 2003
Any Questions?