Supporting vs. enabling your student

What does it really mean to enable versus support your student?

Generally speaking, enabling refers to the practice of over-helping, as in rescuing your student from uncomfortable or challenging situations without considering if they are able to handle it themselves.

When you support your student, you provide space for them to learn from their mistakes and build the necessary coping skills to handle life’s twists and turns. It is your job as parents and caregivers to provide positive encouragement along the path to independence but not to pave the road for them before they get there.

Read more here.

Paraeducator Supervison Training

Polson, June 12.

The purpose of this course is to provide the professional educator with core knowledge and skills to work effectively in teams composed both of professionals and paraeducators. Specifically, participants will refine their knowledge of the characteristics of paraeducators in education, the distinction between professional and paraeducator roles and responsibilities, liability and ethical issues. They will learn about the research-based components of paraeducator supervision.

They will develop skills in: (1) establishing collaboration and working relationships (2) assessing personal supervisory skills; (3) building work schedules and instructional plans; (4) identifying career development areas for paraeducators through needs assessment; and (5) using feedback to improve the job performance of para- educators

Register here.

Paraeducator Supervision Academy // Trainers of Paraeducators Academy

Billings

June 14, 2018: Paraeducator Supervision Academy (PSA) a one-day training that enables educators and other school professionals to develop a core of communication, collaboration, problem solving, and supervisory skills needed to work with paraeducators. PSA focuses on research-based strategies for establishing and working relationships and assessing personal supervisory skills. It also includes approaches to building work and instructional plans, identifying training for paraeducators through needs assessment, and using feedback to improve the job performance of paraeducators.

June 15, 2018: Individuals who attend the PSA training can become trainers for paraeducators by taking the Trainers of Paraeducators Academy (TOPA) training to qualify as a CO-TOP Trainer. This training will provide participants with skills to deliver CO-TOP curriculum, consisting of 22 courses, to paraeducators in their districts. TOPA focuses on knowledge of the characteristics of effective and ineffective training sessions and the characteristics of adult learners. It provides guidelines and resources for planning the content of presentations for para-educators and for developing effective presentation methods.
 

June 14: PSA
June 15: TOPA
9:00AM to 3:30PM both days
MSUB College of Education, Room 122
5 OPI Renewal Units each day
Cost is free

Information Flyer LINK
PSA Registration LINK
PSA & TOPA Registration Training LINK

Para Supervision Training

Para Supervision Training         

                          With                                            

                Barb Stimson

      February 22 - Wingate Missoula

This course provides the professional educator with core knowledge and skills to work effectively in teams composed both of professionals and paraeducators. Specifically, participants will refine their knowledge of the characteristics of paraeducators in education, the distinction between professional and paraeducator roles and responsibilities, liability and ethical issues.  This session is a continuation  of  Session I in August of 2017...but participants need not have gone to session I to benefit from this training.  Sessions will be continued at the Summer Institute in June.

Register here.

If you have queestions about this workshop please contact:

programcoordinator@wmcspd.org

406-847-2236

Life Skills Para Academy - Billings

September 26 (8:30AM to 3:30PM)

Overview: This academy provides the paraeducator with knowledge and skill in instructional methods and life skill support for youth and young adults who have moderate to severe cognitive, communicative, physical, or affective needs. The content addresses the role of the paraeducator in assisting the professionals on the team with transition planning and needs of students who are transitioning from school to community life and to adult roles and responsibilities.

Objectives:
1. Identify domain areas and embedded skills as they apply to elementary and middle school students.
2. Demonstrate how to support students in their efforts to set goals, create plans, solve problems, identify and access resources, and make decisions.
3. Define domain areas and embedded skills for high school and transition students.
 

Presenter: Libby Johnson
6 OPI Renewal Units
Cost is free
Registration LINK

Archived Webinars for Paraeducators

Choreographing Effective Paraeducator Support in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings

This session will demonstrate practical strategies of how to choreograph effective paraeducator support that is child-centered, discreet and unobtrusive to advance the learning – cognitive, communication, and social-emotional – outcomes of children in inclusive pre-kindergarten and kindergarten settings. Participants will gain skills in assisting with student-specific instructional interventions, and maximizing learning opportunities for children using appropriate level of prompts and cues and gradually fading the prompts.

Supporting Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities: What Paraeducators Need to Know and Do

This session will demonstrate how to choreograph effective paraeducator support to students with severe and multiple disabilities that is student-centered, non-intrusive and non-stigmatizing. Participants will learn strategies to maximize academic and social learning opportunities for students they support while facilitating growth of independence and reduce adult dependence. The inclusion of classroom scenarios and student-specific vignettes during the presentation will help with implementation of best-practices.

The Three Ps for Behavioral Support: Preventive Strategies, Personalized Supports and Positive Strokes

Part 2: With the aid of classroom scenarios and student-specific vignettes involving both general education and special education settings, this webinar session will illustrate how to use the “Three Ps” approach guided by the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) model to eliminate or reduce problem behaviors. Participants will learn how to use Preventive Strategies (P1), provide Personalized Supports (P2) and deliver Positive Strokes (P3).

Delivering Effective Paraeducator Support to Students with Disabilities: A Delicate Dance

Part 1: This webinar session will identify the steps and strategies – based on best-practices research – on how the paraeducator support has to be carefully choreographed to be not too intrusive while improving the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. With the aid of classroom scenarios and student-specific vignettes involving both general education and special education settings, participants will learn how to achieve a balance between providing personalized support to maximize learning opportunities for students while encouraging the growth of independence.

Teacher and Paraeducator Teaming for Student Success

Part 2: This webinar session will address the essentials of a winning teacher-paraeducator team to support students with disabilities. Besides gaining greater clarity about teacher-paraeducator role differentiation, participants will learn steps and processes to achieve collaboration, communication and conflict resolution skills for learner success.


View the webinars here.

Archived Webinar - Supporting Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities: What Paraeducators Need to Know and Do

This session will demonstrate how to choreograph effective paraeducator support to students with severe and multiple disabilities that is student-centered, non-intrusive and non-stigmatizing. Participants will learn strategies to maximize academic and social learning opportunities for students they support while facilitating growth of independence and reduce adult dependence. The inclusion of classroom scenarios and student-specific vignettes during the presentation will help with implementation of best-practices.

Watch the archived webinar here. 

Suggestions for fading 1:1 "velcro" pareducators

(From a report by one of our Autism Consultants.)

The reasons for having a 1 on 1 paraprofessional with the student are valid, yet the concerns with a one on one may outweigh the benefits. Be clear what the goals are for the student, academically, socially, and as a good learner. Define the role and responsibilities of the para. Looking long term, constantly having an adult with the student could create co-dependency, is stigmatizing, and may not be realistic when the ultimate goal is being an independent learner. The student can be weaned off a para slowly in small steps, to give him confidence and by building his skill set.

Task analyze a typical learning situation and target where the student could use direct instruction on a skill or what support is needed in areas of cognition, communication, language, social,  fine motor, etc.  Consider that the student may have some learned helplessness or not know what to do. Teach him to look around and see what everyone else is doing or raise his hand to ask for clarification. When assessing his skills at performing each step, note the latency (how long it takes to get started), duration (how long it takes to complete a step). Note any difficulties he may have with finding his place, writing, cutting, finding the glue, etc.  The paraeducator can act as a classroom assistant with full awareness of when the student will need support. Scaffolding is providing just enough support necessary for the student to be successful. She may also be weaning herself off his emotional and social need to have attention and help.

Currently the paraeducator sits right next to the student most of the time. Decrease proximity by standing behind him. If he protests, act as if there is a job that needs to be done (correcting papers or preparing for the next lesson). Increase distance when the student can perform parts of the tasks independently. The paraeducator knows him well enough to notice times he can be independent and when she needs to intervene. He is not fond of "sharing her", that is, when she helps other students. The teachers and the paraeducator need to sit down with the student and explain to him why she is no longer Velcro-attached to him. She can say, "My job is to help students learn. Your job is to follow Mrs. General Education Teacher’s directions and do the best you can."  They can have a signal, a gesture between them to indicate an urgent need for help. Provide positive feedback and praise as the time away from him increases and when he is more independent in doing his work. You can start with easy tasks. As he notices how successful he can be, it should raise his self-confidence and self-esteem.