Para Teachers Requirements
Candidates who meet the requirements listed in Phase I will be invited to Level II. If invited, you must meet the following requirements within a certain time frame: If you are currently employed by NYCDOE as a replacement paraprofessional, please visit the Alternate Paraprofessionals page in the Employee InfoHub. Para-teacher qualifications vary from state to state, but most states require an associate degree with certain educational courses, a teaching assistant certification, and a pass on the ParaPro exam, which tests your teaching and support skills and knowledge of the job. You`ll usually learn your job tasks while you`re at work, but some classroom experience, like replacing it, can help your resume stand out. You will also need strong personal and professional references when applying for a para-teaching position. Para-instructors have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with students with a variety of behavioural, physical and educational needs. School systems need teachers, and it is sometimes difficult to find enough through traditional academic channels. One group that some states look at: their paraprofessionals or teaching assistants. “Parapros” and “AIs” have a lot to offer: they have often been taking care of the teaching process in real classrooms for years. They supported students with challenging behaviours. In many cases, they taught small groups of students; Perhaps they even led their own reading group under the direction of teachers. In addition, they often resemble the student body – racially, culturally, linguistically – more like the classroom teacher.
Research indicates that what racial mixing looks like in schools matters. It is important that children spend time learning from professionals who are like them. Paraprofessionals are part of the answer. They are often long-time members of the community with deep roots; This means they can bring continuity and stability where they are desperately needed. A para teacher, also known as a paraprofessional teacher or parapedagogue, is an assistant to a head teacher, usually for a class of students with special needs. Your job is to help the teacher create lesson plans, organize activities, clean the class, and prepare the class for the next day. They can also provide individual and behavioral support to students, and support students with physical or medical challenges. You will perform your duties throughout the regular school year or during summer school terms, usually as an employee of a school district, but without a teaching license. If you want to help train and develop young learners, but don`t want to become a certified teacher or try out the role before committing to teaching, a paraprofessional, helper, or assistant position may be right for you. Older paraprofessionals may think, “When I go back to school, I`ll be 40 (or 45 or 50) when I`m done.” That may be true, but if you don`t go back to school, you`ll be that age without a degree anyway. Regardless of your age, a career change can offer several benefits.
The Bilingual Pupil Services (BPS) program prepares bilingual paraprofessionals for a teaching career to support and serve English/Multilingual (ELL/MLL) learners in Title I public elementary schools. The objective is to promote the linguistic and academic progression of these students, whose main language is Spanish, Chinese or Haitian Creole, through supportive teaching services through the use of our BPS teacher trainees. Check out a great infographic on the path from parapro to teacher here.* This training is a professional development program for classified employees in Washington State that focuses on paraeducators interested in an associate`s degree. For more information about the Para-Educator Apprenticeship Program, see Washington State Apprenticeships in Public Education. For example, while parasians may be able to meet some requirements for students` Individual Education Plans (IEPs), their time may not count towards the hours required for the comprehensive and teacher-specific services that these plans include. Some colleges have taken the initiative to develop programs that allow paraeducators to meet all their needs while remaining in the workplace. Kansas has more than one. At Fort Hays State University, para-professionals complete their student teaching requirements over two semesters (6 semester hours each) while remaining busy (www.fhsu.edu/teachereducation/para-pathway/index). If you`re a paraprofessional educator, you`ve probably thought about becoming a teacher. Maybe someone in your family suggested that this would be a good career choice for you. Maybe a teacher you`ve worked with has recognized your potential and encouraged you to think about teaching.
Maybe you just enjoy working with children and think teaching would be the next logical step for you. Different teachers will have different expectations of these professionals. While some see paras, helpers, and assistants as full partners in the classroom who follow their advice, trust their expertise, and allow them to monitor the behavior of students who are not in their care, other teachers want them to work strictly with their supervisors and interact with other students and the teacher himself as rarely as possible. Therefore, adaptability is a crucial characteristic for those working in these fields. Note that requirements vary from district to district. For example, some districts may require an associate`s degree, while others may not accept the academic evaluation criterion. Nationally, the average wage for paraprofessionals is $12.56 per hour. Since paratroopers, helpers, and assistants work during school hours and are not paid for school holidays, the estimated median annual salary in the United States is about $19,000. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a much higher estimated average annual wage, but this higher estimate assumes 52 weeks of work; Paratroopers, assistants, and aides typically work about 38 weeks.) Many Texas school districts require applicants to apply online, but some may still accept paper applications.
When hiring, new paraprofessionals who have not yet done so must take their fingerprints and undergo a criminal background check. Unsung heroes in the K-12 classroom are paraprofessionals (also known as paraeducators or paras), educational assistants and teaching assistants. Paraprofessionals work with teachers and provide invaluable support to educators and students. In fact, the term “para” means “next door,” and the education sector mirrors the legal and medical fields, as all of these professions work best when practitioners and support professionals work side by side. While some states and districts may use the terms “teaching assistant” and “teaching assistant” interchangeably with paraprofessionals, instructional materials that do not demonstrate a paraprofessional`s requirements may not count towards the hours of service required by the IEP. Nor can they provide comprehensive instruction or serve as substitute teachers in the absence of certified teachers, although some states or employers may define these roles differently. However, you can work individually or in small groups, help students with homework and help with accommodations that are not related to the IEP, such as reading English aloud or helping students who are not working to school level. Title I schools serve large numbers of children from low-income families, and paraprofessionals at these schools can expect to help teach math, reading and writing. Educational assistants who do not meet these requirements can prove that they are highly qualified by taking and passing a local or state exam that tests their ability to perform these tasks. Under the Every Student Success Act (ASSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015, paraprofessionals must possess certain qualifications.
In particular, ESSA requires paraprofessionals who teach in schools receiving federal funding under Title I: If you liked being a paraprofessional and want to become a teacher, here`s what you need to know. There is one exception to the rule regarding the ability of paraprofessionals to lead a classroom without a certified teacher: in some places, paras may work to become a “senior educational assistant.” Senior Educational Assistants can replace classroom teachers for up to 10 non-consecutive days during a school year. Not all districts or schools offer this position, so ask about advancement opportunities if you are interested. Theresa Corder has worked in education for over 20 years. She completed a two-year program in high school and then earned a bachelor`s degree in social sciences from Eureka College in Illinois. After graduation, she moved to Kansas and worked as a para in a juvenile prison for six years. While working at the JDC, she returned to university to take educational courses and help her understand her strengths in working directly with students and supporting teachers. After staying home with her son for six years, she returned to the workforce for four years as a para in a college Central Resource (CBR) class. Theresa currently works in a high school as a job coach/para in a CBR class.
While each state and school district has its own requirements for teaching assistant positions, nearly all require at least a high school diploma. Some states, like Arkansas, require assistants to be certified, while others don`t. Program acceptance requirements vary, as does the amount of support you get along the way. In many places today, teaching assistants must have the equivalent of an associate`s degree and are halfway through in terms of academic credits.