Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Resources for Teacher Aides

    Posted 07-30-2018 12:02 PM
    Hello Everyone! 

    Does anyone know of resources to help transition teacher aides from the role of supporting the teacher (prepping activities, cleaning, etc.) to supporting children? Also, resources that help teachers in mentoring/coaching their aides as their aides work on supporting children's development and learning?

    Thanks!

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    Cody Summerville
    Program Specialist
    Austin, TX
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  • 2.  RE: Resources for Teacher Aides

    Posted 07-30-2018 02:03 PM
    Cody,

    Here are some resources that I have found for you. I hope this is helpful.

    Teacher assistants typically do the following:

    • Reinforce lessons presented by teachers by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups
    • Enforce school and class rules to help teach students proper behavior
    • Help teachers with recordkeeping, such as tracking attendance and calculating grades
    • Help teachers prepare for lessons by getting materials ready or setting up equipment, such as computers
    • Help supervise students in class, between classes, during lunch and recess, and on field trips

    Teacher assistants also are called teacher aides, instructional aides, paraprofessionals, education assistants and paraeducators.

    Here is a PDF Resource:
    http://kainaied.ca/documents/general/Roles%20and%20Responsibilities%20of%20%20Teachers%20and%20Educational%20Assistants.pdf

    I find that it is important for the teacher and the para to sit down and have a conversation about each others strengths, weaknesses, and divide and conquer the roles within the classroom. Many paras like to be considered as a co-teacher while others want to be a support to the teacher in other ways. It is important at the beginning of the year to set expectations and go over job descriptions for clarity. 



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    Michelle Dean
    United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties
    Leesburg FL
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  • 3.  RE: Resources for Teacher Aides

    Posted 07-31-2018 08:59 AM
    Thank you for sharing this resource! My school is in a transition from a more traditional learning environment to a differentiated instruction model and we are asking teachers to modify how they leverage their classroom aides. This articulates clearly how aides can inform and support the learning environment.

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    Tara Guido
    Kindergarten Teacher
    STEM Coordinator PreK-2
    St. Benedict School
    Holmdel, NJ
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