Do's and Dont's of being a Para-Educator
Please someone help me...this is my 3rd year as working as a para in our local school in the Title 1 program and I love it. My questions is what am I legally able to do? Does a certified teacher have to be in the room when you are in instructing children? Also, is there a UNION for us paras....we get paid very crappy and need more benefits...I tell teachers that here and they say "go get your teaching certificate". Thanks so any and all help.
Richard, You make being a
Richard,
You make being a Para sound great. I wish I had a situation like the one you describe. My "supervising" teacher is out 3-5 days per week, and I have to prepare lesson plans or the class will be pure chaos and when there's a sub called, they can't make heads or tails out of the lesson plans/scheduling. I don't kow what to do. THe teacher just started using subs just a few days after I was hired and has had subs 3-4 days per week since I started and it's gradually gotten worse as the children are now complaining, walking out of the classroom, breaking furniture. I'm thinking of calling the para union, or just quitting and going back to subbing. This is not what being a para should be, I don't believe and when I subbed and had paras it was never like this.
Do you have any advice as to what my options could be? I like the school location because it's very close to home and I like having benefits, and don't feel like they were totally honest with me in the job interview as to what I would be facing. I'd worked with special education students before, but never in a situation where the teacher was absent most of the time and the lesson plans were all about scheduled reading and testing with unclear expectations-and the supervising teacher has said that she doesn't want me to "ake over" and just teach the class my own way when she's not present. I feel like I'm drowning.
Richard, You make being a
Richard,
You make being a Para sound great. I wish I had a situation like the one you describe. My "supervising" teacher is out 3-5 days per week, and I have to prepare lesson plans or the class will be pure chaos and when there's a sub called, they can't make heads or tails out of the lesson plans/scheduling. I don't kow what to do. THe teacher just started using subs just a few days after I was hired and has had subs 3-4 days per week since I started and it's gradually gotten worse as the children are now complaining, walking out of the classroom, breaking furniture. I'm thinking of calling the para union, or just quitting and going back to subbing. This is not what being a para should be, I don't believe and when I subbed and had paras it was never like this.
Do you have any advice as to what my options could be? I like the school location because it's very close to home and I like having benefits, and don't feel like they were totally honest with me in the job interview as to what I would be facing. I'd worked with special education students before, but never in a situation where the teacher was absent most of the time and the lesson plans were all about scheduled reading and testing with unclear expectations-and the supervising teacher has said that she doesn't want me to "ake over" and just teach the class my own way when she's not present. I feel like I'm drowning.
gelbvieh: It depends on
gelbvieh:
It depends on where you live and work. In California, we have a strong union, the California State Employees Association. And whether or not there must always be a certified teacher in your classroom also depends, but I would think generally yes. It's probably a matter of school district liability if something should happen.
The suggestion to "get your teaching certificate" may be good advice for some but not all. I taught for four years in two states before becoming a paraeducator and I much prefer this. No lesson preparations, no late-night grading, no performing for the principal, and especially no IEP paperwork. Sure, the money is not great, but (in most places) the benefits are. And we get to focus on the kids, just on the kids, without the assorted headaches the teacher gets paid more to put up with.
Richard Finegan
www.thedemandingclassroom.com
Richard Finegan www.paraeducatorcentral.com www.readerswithautism.com www.thedemandingclassroom.com
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