Paraprofessional Handbook

Ms. Stephanie Jay’s Special Education Classroom

 Roles and Responsibilities of the
Paraprofessional
As the paraprofessional, you are very needed and appreciated in the classroom. The
following will be duties you will have during the day:
 Supervise the students in the hallways, during recess, and at lunchtime.
 Work to develop classroom schedules with the special education teacher.
 Provide small group and one-on-one instruction as needed. When the large group
instruction demonstration is over, you may individually help the students with any
questions.
 Help prepare materials for future projects.
 Help students with personal care needs they may have, such as first aid.
 Set up for the day by putting out materials as needed.
 Supervise the free-time activities and when students are working.
 The Special Education Teacher’s Roles
and Responsibilities
As the special education teacher, there are some things we will vary on. Here are some of
the everyday duties I have:
 Makes the daily lesson plans for the school day.
 Supervise students in the hallway, during recess and lunchtime.
 Provide large group instruction first, then small group and individual instruction as
needed.
 Will formally contact parents as needed.
 Supervise the classroom.
 Look over and edit the Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
 Help students with personal care needs as well.
 Monitor behavior and collect data for various behavior management strategies.
 Collaboration
Being a team, it is important that we communicate and cooperate in the classroom. To do
this we must:
 Plan before the week. Every week we will have a time allotted so you can get materials
ready, and we can prepare for the week ahead through lesson plans I will make.
 We can work together in discussing plans for students. I would appreciate input you have
for their behavior you have witnessed for a Behavior Improvement Plan.
 We will be monitoring and helping students at the same time during the school day in
large and small groups.

Communication is crucial in making sure we maintain a functioning classroom. If you ever

have any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to mention them to me.
 Classroom Management
When maintaining the classroom, we will need to clean up after projects and activities quite
a lot. You will assist in gathering materials and keeping the room clean.
 Our class will have
 Behavior Management
When managing behavior in the classroom, it can be difficult at times. Some aspects we
should follow are:
 Not getting in “power-struggles” with students. We can maintain a positive attitude and
still be firm in our directions.
 Telling the students what they are supposed to do, and if they get distracted, redirect
them positively.
 Not using restraints on the students. If the student needs to be restrained, immediately
report it to the special education teacher.
If there is any odd or concerning behavior, please immediately report it to me.
You will also assist me in implementing the behavior plans of the students by observing
their behavior and recording data.
 Rewarding Students
Giving students praise is an important part of their education experience. We want to show
them we appreciate what they are doing and that we notice. As professionals we can do this
by:
 Giving them verbal reinforcements such as: “You are doing a great job, keep it up!”
 When praising a student’s actions, we can be specific by saying “I like the way _____ put
her pencil away!” This shows that they are displaying a good behavior and we are
recognizing it.
 Giving food reinforcements throughout the day, and when we will be assessing the
students.
 Making sure to never discourage a wrong answer, but instead direct them toward the right
answer without actually telling them the answer.
 Confidentiality Policy
It is important for us to keep information from the school confidential because
Federal, State, and local laws require this. To maintain confidentiality we must:
 Be careful not to mention student’s names when asked about your job.
 We should not discuss students in the faculty rooms such as on lunch break.
 Only share information about student’s and situations if other professionals need
to know and have authorization.
If someone asks you a question that you do not feel comfortable sharing, direct
their question to their special education teacher or the school’s counselor.
If we follow these policies, we can maintain a good relationship with other
professionals and not have to worry about breeching any confidentiality.
 General Policies in the Classroom
 Avoid having distractions out during the class day. Things such as cell phones can be kept
in your bag or off to the side. We want to focus on the students’ education more!
 Follow the dress code policies and look professional. We want to be good role models for
the students.
 Make sure to use person-first language.
 Promote independence with the students. We want them to know we are there for them,
but that they are capable of doing many things on their own as well.
 Try not to show or pick favorites in the classroom, make sure every student knows they
are appreciated.
 Represent our classroom with a positive attitude! 
 Thank You!
I am glad you are part of our Special Education classroom, and am looking forward to
working with you this year.
-Ms. Jay