Working with paraprofessionals is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of the job of a special education teacher. Managing other adults – who may be older than and have more experience than you – is not for the weak. It is an area of the job that is notoriously not covered in teacher preparation programs, and often creates difficult dynamics and unique challenges within each classroom.
But there’s one commonality we all can agree on – paraprofessionals are our right and left hand. They are the backbone to special education.
They support us, they support students, they encourage the inclusion process, they work on toileting, they clean up messes, they prep materials, they collect data, they differentiate on the fly. Whether we know exactly how to work with our classroom paraprofessionals or not, they are completely vital to the classroom and to student and teacher success.
And, after learning and knowing our students inside and out, they are often left completely out of the IEP process. How can this be?
Here is a free training from our YouTube channel about training paras up or out.
It is common that when teachers leave the classroom to attend IEP meetings during the school day, the paraprofessionals in self contained classrooms hang behind and “hold down the fort”. The paraprofessionals in co-taught settings support while the teacher’s gone, in resource settings they take the teacher’s group to avoid changing the schedule too much. Again, they are VITAL to making the special education magic happen.
But what about ALL the information they have about the unique children we serve? What about all the data they collected all school year? What about the goal programs they ran and the behavior plan they diligently implemented? Don’t they have some input to share?
While it may not be possible for paraprofessionals to attend the IEP meeting, it is important to remember that the meeting is only one small portion of the IEP process. There is plenty of time for paraprofessionals to assist in crafting a well rounded and meaningful IEP that encompasses ALL that the student can be working towards across the upcoming year.
Asking for input
While we ask families for input on student goals, benchmarks, inclusion minutes, accommodations, and more, we can also be asking for input from paraprofessionals. It’s common that paraprofessionals are some of the key implementers of an IEP, so they should have a role in creating it! Meeting with paraprofessionals prior to drafting the goals to ask them their input on each goal area can be very empowering. Not only will you get input from a key team member, but including them on this process will help foster the team dynamic that we all hope to foster in our classrooms.
Grab our paraprofessional input form for free here.
Set a time to review
When the IEP is finalized, set a time to review the IEP with the paraprofessionals who work alongside that student. Allowing them to see the goals, benchmarks, and any big changes to their accommodations, modifications, behavior plans (etc) can help to keep everyone in the loop, as well as really communicate the importance of the IEP. Create a “cheat sheet” for each paraprofessional so they can have the important information at their fingertips as needed.
Providing your paras with a Para Binder – one place to keep all important classroom information that’s just for them – is a great way to include paras in the process and help them stay organized.
And don’t forget about SDI – that’s the whole reason for IEPs. Paras can help assist in the deliverance of SDI as well, under your supervision. Learn more in this blog post.
When the team is on the same page, communication is smoother, questions can be asked, and a healthy dynamic starts to form. While it would be amazing to have paraprofessionals present in IEP meetings, this isn’t always possible. Keeping paraprofessionals involved and included across the IEP process makes their voices heard, even if they can’t be physically around the table.
If every upcoming IEP sends you searching for the next goal, form, data sheet, training, or reminder, the problem probably isn’t that you need more resources. You need a better way to manage the process. The Intentional IEP System connects the tools, guidance, and workflows special educators need across the IEP lifecycle so you can stop managing IEPs one meeting at a time and start working more intentionally. See what intentional IEP management looks like →