Para Plus Training: All You Need To Know To Be a Para Pro

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Para Plus Training All You Need To Know To Be
a Para Pro

• Presented by the Weber School District
• Special Education Department

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Goals of the Para Educator Training

• Understanding the basics
• Instructional implementation and data collection
• Being part of the school team

• Positive communication skills
• Managing student behaviors

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Understanding the Basics
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Understanding the Chain of Command

• Understand the various levels of supervisors you
  may have
• Identify your immediate supervisor
• In addition to taking direction from your direct
  supervisor, you may take direction from others in
  the school, (i.e. psychologist, other
  administrators, other teachers, and
  coordinators).

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Remember the Bare Essentials

• Follow directions
• Ask questions
• Be flexible and pleasant
• Avoid disastrous mistakes
• Have fun!

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Avoiding Disastrous Mistakes

• Never hit, grab, or otherwise try to physically
  move a child
• Never use profanity
• Never breach confidentiality
• Avoid arguments with students or staff
• Avoid being alone, behind closed doors, with only
  one student

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Present Yourself Professionally

• Dress neatly and appropriately
• Be dependable
• Arrive on time
• Follow your schedule
• Complete work assignments
• Be self-motivated
• Treat adults and students with respect
• Communicate professionally
• Maintain confidentiality

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Code of Ethics/Confidentiality

• Discuss information about students only with
  supervising teacher and do not
• Air school problems or confidential matters
  outside of school
• Discuss school problems or confidential
  information in the presence of students or
  parents

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Code of Ethics/Confidentiality (Continued)

• Do not express differences of opinion with the
  supervising teacher in the presence of students
  or parents
• Talk about problems with those who cannot assist
  in the solution

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Instructional Implementation and Data Collection
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Implementation of Teacher-Planned Instruction

• Execute plans created by a teacher under the
  direct supervision of the teacher
• Monitor and provide assistance to students during
  classroom activities
• Score objective work
• Record and chart data
• Prepare instructional materials

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Data collection
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What is Data Assessment?

• Objective measurement of student progress or lack
  of progress
• Must have a starting point (baseline)
• Must have an ending point (criteria)

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Why Collect Data?

• To determine the effects of our instruction
• To determine present level of performance
• AccountabilityIts the law

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Your Responsibilities

• Participate in data collection training
• Collect data as directed
• Review data with educational staff

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Helpful Hints

• Measure only one behavior/skill
• Clearly define the behavior/skill
• Follow directions for accuracy and objectivity
• Learn a variety of data collection methods

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Being Part of the School Team

• Demonstrate a positive attitude
• Use effective communication strategies
• Deal with disagreements productively
• Be responsible when it comes to attending meetings

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Demonstrate a Positive Attitude

• Smile, be polite, friendly, and helpful
• Look for opportunities to praise students
• Expect good things from your students
• Look for humor in difficult situations
• Leave personal problems at home

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Use Effective Communication Strategies

• Be an active listener
• Concentrate on the speaker and whats being said
• Maintain appropriate eye contact
• Use appropriate body language
• Be alert for directions/instructions
• Be alert to feelings
• Paraphrase
• Ask questions

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Using Effective Communication Strategies

• Establish a Common Vocabulary
• Learn the educational lingo
• Ask questions
• Use Objective Reporting
• Be Specific
• Give examples

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Deal with Disagreements Productively

• Keep your focus on what is best for the students
• Be positive, calm, and respectful during any
  disagreement
• Proceed cautiously in disagreeing with someone in
  authority
• Proceed thoughtfully in disagreeing with peers
• Use I messages
• Follow through on decisions made

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Be Responsible When It Comes to Attending Meetings

• Approach meetings with a positive attitude
• Arrive on time with necessary materials
• Be courteous and actively participate
• Implement decisions made and new skills learned
• Review decisions with teacher

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Managing Student Behavior
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Purpose and Philosophy of Behavior Management

• Behavior is related to student learning, paras
  need to help
• Maintain safe/ positive environment
• Eliminate distractions
• Promote respect
• Use learning time effectively
• Help increase students social skills
• Coordinate with teacher to enhance positive
  behaviors

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Cautions for Behavior Management

• Never criticize in public
• Never discuss a students negative behavior in
  front of others

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Cautions

• Dont touch a student who is upset!
• and..
• Never engage in a power struggle

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Precision Command

• Look at the student
• Say name
• Wait (2-5 seconds)
• Give the command, walk away
• Wait (10 seconds)
• Say, Name, you need to ..
• Wait. (10 seconds)
• Yes, they didPraise
• No, they didnt..Consequate the behavior

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Gaining Compliance
Which method works best? Why?
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2
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Teacher and Para Educator Roles in Managing
Behavior

• The para compliments the role of the teacher
• Respond immediately to students
• Assist in small group/ individual work
• Provide frequent attention
• Prevent problems before they happen

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Teacher and Para Educator Roles in Managing
Behavior

• Para educator roles include
• Demonstrating,
• Explaining,
• Modeling, and
• Reinforcing student behaviors.

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Additional Roles

• Paras
• Observe,
• Monitor, and
• Record student behaviors.

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Planning and Coordinating Behavior Management
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Guidelines for Para Educational Responsibilities

• Provide best educational opportunity
• Implement supervising teachers plan
• Refer behavior concerns to supervising teacher
• Be consistent

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Whats Wrong With This Picture?
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Para and Teacher Roles
Roles in Planning and Implementation Para Educator Teacher
Establishes Class Rules X
Schedules Activities X
Observes Behavior X X
Develops Behavior Plans X
Selects reinforcers X
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Para and Teacher Roles
Roles in Planning and Implementation Para Educator Teacher
Collects Data X X
Consequates behavior X X
Praises behavior X X
Evaluates Interventions X
Provides feedback for appropriate behavior X X
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Group Management Strategies
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Planned Ignoring

• When to Ignore
• Behavior is unintentional
• Behavior is to gain attention
• Behavior needs to be decreased

• When to Intervene
• Physical danger
• Disrupts learning
• Violates rules
• Impacts others

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Providing Cues to Students

• Non-verbal-i.e. body postures, eye contact, raise
  hand
• Auditory prompts-i.e. Get Em On Task
• Verbal cues-listen to your tone of voice, and
  delivery
• Match verbal and non-verbal cues

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Proximity Control

• Move about the classroom
• Close proximity

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Ways To Increase Student Motivation

• Relate to life experiences
• Give them the rationales for using the
  appropriate behavior
• Act interested in the child and his/ her work
• Give verbal and non-verbal praise that is direct,
  personal, and specific

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The Appropriate Use of Humor

• Can decrease anxiety
• Can increase academic performance
• Laugh with, not at children.

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Helping Students Through Tough Spots

• Help the student to solve the problem rationally
• Review directions
• Provide/ demonstrate examples and non-examples
• Model the skill

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Appeal to Student Values

• Develop relationships
• Use natural consequences
• Appeal to the students desire to be liked
• Promote the students self-respect

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Removal of Inappropriate Items

• Give students choices

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Strategies for Increasing Positive Student
Behaviors

• Praise, Praise, Praise
• Use the 41 ratio

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Guidelines for Effective Praise

• Define the appropriate behavior
• Provide immediate praise
• Vary the praise statements
• Be sincere
• Be consistent and fair
• Use age-appropriate praise

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Guidelines for Effective Positive Feedback

• Accurate
• Specific and descriptive
• Contingent
• Age appropriate
• Sincere

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Non-Example of Praise
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Why Punishment Does Not Work

• It gives attention to the wrong behavior
• It damages the students relationship with staff
• Negative feelings from punishment can result in
  poor attitude
• There is no opportunity to recognize good
  behavior

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Non-Verbal Social Cues

• Nods
• Smiles
• Thumbs up
• Pats on the back
• High Fives

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Building Positive Relationships With Students

• Sets the groundwork for teaching
• Encourages the student to respond appropriately
• Increases the likelihood for compliance
• Builds trust

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Summary of the Critical Skills

• Behavior management is an opportunity to teach
  the skill
• Consider the students best interest
• Avoid embarrassing the student

• Praise publicly, criticize privately
• Strive for the win-win
• Keep teachers informed

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Most Importantly---

• Thank students for trying to improve

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References

• Rhode, G., Jenson, W.R., Reavis, H.K. (1992).
  The tough kid tool book Practical classroom
  management strategies. Longmont, CO Sopris
  West.
• Sprick, R., Garrison M., Howard L. (2000). Para
  pro Supporting the instructional process,
  Longmont, CO Sopris West

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