Understanding paraeducator’s roles in the process of instruction means also understanding that paraeducators play a key role in helping the team collect data that can represent how a student is struggling or achieving new heights. The paraeducator information shared with the team is crucial because the paraeducator is usually working side by side the student and has the closest perspective to the child’s situation. Watch the following video to learn all the important components of instruction (academic, behavioral or social instruction) and how the paraeducator takes on data collection and analysis as part of their job.
Paraeducators who are great at data collection display the following characteristics:
Service Oriented (Serve the child, serve the families, serve the team)
Supportive (Support team, support child and add to the data collection and intervention work)
“Techie” (Enthusiastic about technology and use it to support data collection and special education intervention)
Good Communicator (Communicate in professional ways telling what they see & experience and are willing to share ideas & issues across the team )
Consistent Monitor (Monitors environments, data, and instruction for best practices that consistently meet learners needs)
Flexible Thinker and Problem Solver (Willing to make changes on the spot that support a learner’s needs and think in innovative ways to add to the team’s problem solving process).
Observant (able to observe, record (tally, describe), and chart behaviors (learning and social emotional)
Check out this self assessment where you can summarize how you display these traits.
It is Important to Avoid Learned Helplessness or Lack of Progress because of Too Much Support
- Focus more on the process and progress not the product…Recognize the Results and Recovery
- Scaffold or ebb and flow out of the helping cycle… Recognize the Results and Recovery
- Help a little less each day… Recognize the Results and the Recovery
Take Note of Changes, Processes that Helped, Tiny Bits of Progress and Recovery.
Watch this video to learn more about the role of paraeducators who work as part of data collection teams.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has designated data collection as a basic skill needed for all paraeducators.
- Paraeducators report that data collection is one of their most common responsibilities
- Para educators don’t receive training in this
- Data that is collected can’t be assumed to be accurate without specific training
- Data collection must be objective…