Top 10 Tips for Paraprofessionals

1. Top 10 Tips for Paraprofessionals S. Lanzo (Pupil Services), J. Buckley (RMHS) J. Jeffery (Wood End) J. Kobrenski (Barrows) M. Deligianidis (RISE) Blueprint for Educational Excellence National Institute Reading, MA April 15, 2011

2. Introductions, Purpose, and Parking Lot • Who are we? • Who are you? • What do you wish to get out of today’s presentation?

3. Top 10 Tips… Tip # 1: Get to know everything about your position Tip #2 : Behavior=Communication Tip #3: I.E.P. Basics Tip #4: Responding to Behavior Tip #5: Understanding Consequences Tip #6: Communicating with Parents Tip #7: Classroom Communication Tip #8 : Communicate with Children Tip #9: Providing inclusion supports Tip #10: Take care of yourself!

4. Tip #1: Get to know your position • Understand the disability, the program, and the student: • Review the IEP and Classroom Summary • Commit essential accommodations to memory • Establish a consistent time for consult, even if only for five minutes a week • Ask questions!

5. Tip #2 Behavior = Communication • All kids misbehave - plan accordingly! • TRY NOT TO TAKE IT PERSONALLY! • All behaviors have a function or reason (some have more than one). • In order to change a behavior, you first need to find the function of the behavior (why the student is displaying it). • There are four main functions of behavior: Tangible, Escape, Attention, and Sensory. With any problembehavior you will need to identify: • Antecedent • Behavior • Consequence

6. Tip #3 I.E.P. Basics Student Strengths: Focus on what the student can do! Accommodations: have to, not want to Understand our obligations to meet student goals/benchmarks

7. Tip #4: Tips for Responding to Behavior • Help – Prompt – Wait (QBS) • Individual plans • Be clear and concise (First-Then) • Ignoring isn’t ignoring… there is a purpose behind it!

8. Tip #5: Understanding Consequences • Goal: increase positive behaviors, decrease negative behaviors, and substitute behaviors • individualized and meaningful • Reinforce appropriate behaviors at all times • Provide consistent implementation of behavior interventions for challenging behaviors

9. Tip #6: Communicating with Parents • Rule of thumb: 2 positives for every 1 negative, include how a negative situation was resolved (especially when writing in communication books) • Do not discuss when the student is within earshot • When in doubt, try a one-liner: • “I’ll get back to you on that” • “That sounds like a teacher question” • “I’ll ask ___ to follow up with you”

10. Tip #7: Classroom Communication • Be open and specific about how the teacher can help you do your job • Maintain the student’s dignity; avoid the “rap sheet” • Teachable moments • Less is more with prompting • Use different words and varying tone of voice when providing verbal reinforcement • Use nonverbal cues when the teacher is talking

11. Tip #8 Communicating with Students • Build a relationship/unconditional caring • Talk less, listen more • The fewer words, the better / no helicopters! • Try writing instead • “You need to” or “It’s time to” • Wait time • Be specific with praise (e.g., “I like the way you___”) • Label the behavior, not the student • Polite redirection back to topic • Neutral and consistent • Take a break when needed

12. Tip #9: Providing Inclusion supports • A structured environment • Visual Schedule (classroom or individual) • Give transition warnings (5 minutes until…) • Visual Aides/manipulatives to support instruction • Increased time for processing and responding • Break down directions/tasks into smaller steps or chunks • Use declarative language (e.g., instead of giving demands, encourage students to notice their environment “I noticed that the class is lining up for lunch” • Assist the student; resist the urge to shorten the process…no helicopters!

13. Tip #10: Take care of yourself! • Communicate • Use your support system • Boundaries/self care • Keep your sense of humor You ARE appreciated!!!