Presentation form Barbara Jo Stahl and the 2009 National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals conference. The presentaiton focused on key tools and techniques for supervising paraprofessionals.

1. Barbara Jo Stahl
bjsthal@stthomas.edu
651-962-4398

2.  Special Education –
Federal – 1997, 2004 Amendments to IDEA –

State - Minnesota Omnibus Education Bill of

1998, Article 2, Section 9 - MS125A.08(b)
 Title I–
Federal - No Child Left Behind Act of 2002

 NEW in Minnesota –
State - Regular Session Laws (2003), Chapter.

129, Article 1, Section.10

4. Teachers Directing the Work of
Paraprofessionals
Competencies for Teachers (Wallace, Shin,
Bartholomay, & Stahl, 2001)
Communication with Paraprofessionals

 Planning and Scheduling
 Instructional Support
 Modeling for Paraprofessionals
 Public Relations
 Training
 Management of Paraprofessionals

5. socialization
Promote
Provide a variety of instructional
methods
Know the learning goals
 Share student strategies with
supervising teacher(s)
Get to know your students

6. Success
Expect

7. students equally and with
Treat
age appropriate activities
 Speak directly to students
Ask content questions
 Share ideas and feelings

9.  Team members are able to share ideas and
give input into discussions.
 Team members find team meeting efficient
and productive. Teams meet on a regular
schedule
 Team members know clearly when the team
has been successful and share in this
success equally.
 Staff development is provided and is taken
advantage of by team members.
 Feed back is provided to all team members.

10.  Staff development is provided and is taken
advantage of by team members.
 Feed back is provided to all team
members.
 All team members understand why the
team exists and are committed to
accomplishing the mission and goals of the
team.
 Team members know what needs to be done
and by whom to achieve team goals.

11.  Team members know their roles in getting
tasks done and how to use the skills and
expertise of each member most
effectively.
 Decision-making leadership and supervising
guidelines are clearly understood by all
team members.
 Team members feel their unique
personalities and strengths are appreciated
ad well utilized.

12. Managing the Work of Paraprofessionals

SPED 688
 This course will discuss a teacher’s roles and
responsibilities for directing the
 work of paraprofessionals. Candidates will learn
to communicate with
 paraprofessionals in a clear, receptive and
responsive manner regarding their roles
 and responsibilities, provide direction in
coordinating plans, schedules and tasks
 while maintaining professionalism through
respect, confidentiality and
 honoring boundaries.
 Planning,

13.  Planning, Scheduling for Paraprofessionals
SPED 689
 This course will examine a teacher’s roles
and responsibilities for directing the
 work of paraprofessionals. Candidates will
learn to develop supervision in
 planning, schedules and instructional support
for paraprofessionals, based on
 student needs, and provide effective
supervision for instructional support

14. Training and Development for

Paraprofessionals
SPED 690
 This course focuses on supervising
paraprofessionals’ relationships with students,
 and their need for continuing education.
Candidates will learn how to model
 caring and respectful interaction with students,
discover the importance of
 advocating for paraprofessional training and
development and discover the
 strategies for ongoing staff development and
training for paraprofessionals.

15. Collaboration Skills for School Professionals

SPED 714
This course will help candidates develop an ethic of collaboration and the

knowledge and skills needed to effectively collaborate with faculty,

administrators, paraprofessionals, students, families and community

members.
Candidates will explore the fundamentals of collaboration; applications

of
collaboration related to consultation, interagency agreements, team

membership,
staff development, and co-teaching; and the pragmatic aspects of

collaboration.
Candidates will have the opportunity to develop the personal and

interpersonal
skills necessary to be an effective collaborative partner in meeting

diverse
student needs.


16. Gerlach, Kent (2001). Let’s Team Up!, A

checklist for Paraeducators, Teachers and
Principals. National Education Association
Professional Library Distribution Center,
ED467783 .
Wallace, T., Shin, J., Bartholomay, T.,

Stahl, B. J. (2001). Knowledge and skills for
teachers supervising the work of
paraprofessionals. The Council for
Exceptional Children, 67(4), 520-533.