- Events (3)
- General (21)
- Legislation (2)
- Newsletters (4)
- NRCP Conference (40)
- NRCP News (11)
- Paraprofessional News (37)
- Awards (3)
- Resources (14)
- Training (4)
The Para Place
Paraeducator news and views...
Presentations and Handouts from the 2011 Conference
There are now over 25 presentations we have received and posted on our site from the 2011 National Conference. If you missed the conference or would like to back and review some of the sessions they are available here.
Kevin Honeycutt Keynote
In this keynote we had the opportunity to listen to Kevin Honeycutt, here are some of the resources he shared:
- Lulu.com (Book publishing tool)
- Google Sketchup (Free tool to represent objects and ideas in 3-D)
- AR-media™ Plugin for Google™ SketchUp™ (Tool that lets you see Google Sketchup creations in 3-D)
- ArtSnacks Great White Shark Drawing Lession
- Classroom 2.0
- The Open World Project
- iPhone Apps
Kevin reminded us that it is important to Love to Learn to Learn (L2L2L) and that we can help kids succeed, against the odds:
Check out Kevin's website and check back later for a link to his presentation.
Opening 2011 Conference Keynote from Marilyn Likins and Gina R. Scala
Keyed In, Logged On, Charged Up! Paraprofessionals Connecting with 21st Century Learners
The conference started off this morning with the opening keynote address from Marilyn Likins and Gina R. Scala. Gina talked about knewly revised Knowledge & Skill Standards for Paraprofessionals from CEC (coming soon) and the importance of being involved in legislative issues. Gina challenged everyone in the audience to send a letter to a legislator once a week.
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
~Harry S. Truman
Marilyn then reviewed the work fo the National Paraeducator Leadership Forum last summer and the top 5 paraprofessional issues that they worked on and some of the common challenges:
- Clarification of roles and responsibilities
- Lack of awareness:
- State and local adminstrators
- Legislators (state and national)
- Teachers
- Lack of leadership at national, state and local level
- Inflexiblility of higher education structures & restrictions
- Funding to support research and training
- Insufficient research
“Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is a process.
Working together is success.”
~Henry Ford
Regarding advocacy, they reminded everyone that, “You must be at the table or you will be on the menu”
Their full presentation is embedded below:
Keyed In, Logged On, Charged Up! Paraprofessionals Connecting with 21st Century Learners
View more presentations from National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals
Look for more presentations later today and in the coming days!
Conference Coming Soon- Hotel Discount Extended!
The 2011 Conference is quickly approaching and we are looking forward to seeing many of you in Harrisburg in just 3 weeks!
If you haven't yet reserved your hotel room, the Sheraton let us know today that you can still get the special conference rate, but it is only available by contacting Lisa Chenoweth directly at 717-558-4607 or by e-mail at Lisa.Chenoweth@sheratonhershey.com.
If you still haven't decided on whether or not you would like to attend, check out this list of 5 reasons why you won't want to miss this year's conference:
The opportunity to:
- Meet and network with paraprofessionals from other states.
- Attend diverse workshops covering ELL, special and general education, reading, writing, behavior management, nutrition and much more.
- Learn techniques for improving student behavior and academic performance.
- Earn up to 15 In-Serivce or ACT 48 Hours and 1 University Credit.
- Discuss paraprofessional training and career development with local, state, and national leaders.
List of Conference Sessions Now Available!
If you are thinking about attending the 2011 National Conference for Paras in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania but haven't made up your mind, take a few minutes to read over the incredible sessions that will be available at the conference.
Keynote speakers and a full schedule will be coming soon, but the session list will give you a good idea of the number of high quality sessions that will be available.
Don't forget that there is still time to register and receive the full Early-bird discount. See you in Harrisburg!
"The Demanding Classroom" Writes about Paraprofessionals
The Demanding Classroom is a blog run by husband and wife team Sara and Richard Finegan and they have put together a great series of posts on paraprofessionals.
You can view all of their paraeducator posts at this site, a few of which are highlighted below:
- What Are 10 Things a Paraeducator Can Do To Help a Child? Includes great tips such as "Never underestimate the child’s abilities", "Gradually remove supports" and "Do not get into a power struggle with a child".
- When Is a Child Too Dependent on a Paraeducator? One of the signs to watch out for is when "The child resists going anyplace or doing anything unfamiliar without the paraeducator accompanying or helping her, even when there is another adult or student with the child."
- Some Words About: Paraeducator and Parent Communication
It's great to see people writing about paraeducator issues. If you have a blog that you have written about paraeducators, please let us know about it.
Paraeducator Diane Sangelo Given a Thank You on Oprah
Diane Sangelo worked with Rago Blair's son Isaac Rago from grade school all the way up through high school. She developed a special bond with Isaac over the years as she helped him to go from a wheelchair to walking on his own and learning basic sign language to communicate. Her devotion has extended beyond the classroom, spending time with Isaac on weekends and even taking him to summer camp.
Isaac's mother, Jeana Rago Blair wanted to say thank you and submitted a short essay about her son's paraeducator to the Oprah Winfrey Show. The show responded with tickets for both of them to attend Oprah's "Favorite Things" show where Oprah handed out thousands of dollars worth of merchandise to everyone in attendance including an iPad and a new car.
Here's a great quote from this article:
"She has a gift for seeing the potential these kids can make in society," Rago Blair said. "My son would not be the young man he is today without her in his life."
Read all about it:
Balance
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving” (Albert Einstein)
When I was younger I used to watch the Ed Sullivan Show with my parents and one of my favorite acts was this guy who spins plates:
He starts by spinning just one plate and then proceeds down the table spinning more and more plates. When he gets to the end he has to frantically rush back to the beginning to make sure the first plate is still going. Do any of you ever feel that way as you try to balance all of the responsibilities that you are asked to do?
How do you keep all of your plates spinning?
The Council for Exceptional Children has a blog from a number of new special education teachers and one of those teachers, Melissa, recently wrote about the topic of life/work balance and the support she felt from her classroom during a difficult time when she was supporting her mother who was diagnosed with cancer:
I have come to one conclusion through all this: My work as a teacher balances my life. For this, I am truly blessed. When everything at home is chaotic and just plain yucky, I can come to my classroom and just be me. I work with the best people on Earth. I get my recommended daily allowance of hugs, usually by the time the first bell rings. My email inbox overfloweth with warm wishes. I have lost count of how much food has been brought over to my house. I know if I need anything—and I mean anything—all I have to do is ask. And even when I don’t ask, it magically appears from someone who read my mind.
If you find yourself struggling with finding balance, check out the articles below.
- Work Life Balance: Tips for New Teachers
- Balancing Work and Family
- 5 Tips for Better Work-Life Balance
What do you do to stay balanced?
(Photo Creative Commons Licensed courtesy of foxbert)
Back to School Special
We recently came across a couple of stressful accounts from paras of their first day back from school:
I'm a paraeducator for children. Today was our first day. I am praying for patience. Not with the kids. The kids are great. My stress levels are so high after this morning, that I have a horrible headache, and my shoulder is killing me from being tensed for so long. (from Lord, it's Monday)
And this one...
So, today was the first day back to work. It should come as no surprise to anyone who works for any big company/school/corporation, that no one knows where my job is going to be yet. I’ve been told not to worry, I have a job, they just don’t know where yet. (from Irene's Weblog)
We thought it might be nice to provide you with a little bit of back to school inspiration from around the web:
I Believe in Me, Do You Believe in Me?
First off, this video from a young man names Dalton Sherman titled "I Believe in Me, Do You Believe in Me?" is our most popular post on the site that we have ever posted. If you haven't seen it, it is definitely a must-see as you start the school year.
Back to School Facts
This Fact Sheet from the Census Bureau has all kinds of interesting back-to-school facts. Did you know that:
- Among K-12 students, 87% of students with a parent or other household member attended a general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year.
- 10.9 million school-age children who speak a language other than English at home.
Back to School Guides for Parents
If you are a parent sending a child back to school, there is some great information from the Federal Citizen Information Center on going back to school. That page includes a list of the top 5 reasons students miss school (Watch out for cold season). Also check out this back-to-school guide from Consumer Reports
More Resources
- Back-to-School Guide for Beginning Teachers from the National Education Association (activities, lesson planning, humhttp://www.educationworld.com/back_to_school/index.shtmlor and behavior management tools)
- Back to School page from Education World (lots of ice breakers and ideas on preparation. Also see their article Back-to-School Guide For Beginning Teachers (And Not-So-New Teachers Too)!
- Top 12 Ways to Start the School Year Off Right (Things like inspire your parents and connect with students’ parents)
What do you do to lower the stress of a new school year? What do you spend most of your time doing the first few days of school?
Early Bird Conference Registration Now Available
We have been preparing for the National Paraprofessional Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on May 12th-14th, 2011 and now so can you.
The Early Bird Conference Registration is now open and offers significant savings over the regular priced tickets, take a moment to review the options for registration and signup today!
The conference will be held at the
Help Spread the Word
Please help us spread the news about the 2011 conference by by downloading this Save the Date document with some basics about the conference that you can share with anyone who might be interested.
Save the Date! (2011 National Conference)
The NRCP 2011 Paraprofessional Conference has been scheduled for:
May 12-14, 2011
At the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The Call for papers will be posted soon and additional information will be forthcoming.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive conference updates in your inbox!
A First Year Teacher Finds a Hero in Her Paraeducator
A teacher named Tami recounts an experience from her first year of teaching:
My kids continued to grow and develop as learners in a happy and caring classroom community.
I cannot however, take credit for all their success.
I had a para educator who was in my classroom most of the day, specifically for 3 of my special needs kiddos.
Her name is Mrs. M.
She was my right hand gal. She was my sounding board, keeper of the peace, and most importantly my friend. It sounds silly, but I couldn't have done it without her! (And until you encounter the title of teacher in a multi-age class with 27 (and soon 29) kids... you don't know the full truth of that statement!)
She then goes on to tell us that Mrs. M was diagnosed with breast cancer:
Tests were taken, surgery performed, a breast removed, chemo started, and one very sick lady left behind.
My classroom wasn't the same without her. We all missed her.
Tami then tell us why she admires Mrs. M and declares her "my hero".
Thanks for sharing Tami!
100 Essential Blog Posts for the First-Year Teacher
We recently came across a post titled
100 Essential Blog Posts for the First-Year Teacher. While geared towards teachers, the list includes lots of great posts for anyone involved in education. Categories include Working with Student, Teaching, Classroom Management, Using Technology in the Classroom, Resources, Going Green in Schools, Education Reform and The Future of Education.
Going through the list we came across great posts such as Catch Them Doing the Right Thing and More Classroom Ideas for Old Fashioned Index Cards.
Do you have a blog where you talk about paraprofessional issues? If so, leave us a comment below!
100 Essential Blog Posts for the First-Year Teacher via Successful Teaching
(Also check out this list of 50 Amazing Videos Every Educator Should Watch)
Utah Paraeducator Honored
Spanish Fork Junior High (Utah) paraeducator Lesley Johnson was recently named the Nebo School District's Secondary Resource Paraeducator of the Year. From the article:
"I feel like I can't do my job without her," said Spanish Fork Junior High teacher Katrina Davenport. "She's so dedicated and devoted to helping people." Johnson said she's had students refer to her as "Mom." She said they've called out, "Hi Mom!" in the hallways.
Announcement on the 2010 Conference
First, the bad news...
During the past several months we have heard from many individuals who have attended previous conferences and found that many states, districts, and national organizations are experiencing travel freezes and budget restrictions. Based on this and the current economic downturn, we have opted not to hold a 2010 conference. We want to thank everyone for their interest and support.
Now, the good news...
We are currently in the process of finalizing the dates and location of the 2011 Conference! We anticipate the Call for Papers being posted early in 2010. Stay tuned for more information.
PS
Although we are not holding the National conference in 2010, a number of states are still holding their state conferences. We are working on creating a calendar that will list all of these. If you know of a paraprofessional conference or training opportunity in your state then please let us know!