New teacher-/meetn my paraprofessionals next wk- want to make a basic contract w/roles/ guidelines. Any idea?

Question

Im a new teacher for a special ed life skills class. I want to start off on the right foot. Im meeting with my paraprofessionals next week. I want to make a contract with a basic list of guidelines, roles they should follow and have them sign it. Should I also make a evaluation form for them too? Any ideas?

Answer 1

As several of the other responses have kind of implied, I think you are being a bit overzealous with the contract idea.  School districts already HAVE the roles and responsibilities for their paraprofessionals.  It's great to sit down with them and establish a rapport as well as expectations... but I think you also have to develop an atmosphere of respect and team values.  Yes, you are the teacher, but you need to realize they can and may be the backbone of your classroom in the duties and responsibilities you assign them.  Begin with the expectation they are going to be hard-working and responsible and if they are that type of individual, they will do everything they can to be of help to you and the students.  If they aren't, the contract wouldn't have mattered anyway and you would need to follow your DISTRICT'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES to address any deficiencies AFTER they would occur.  Just a tip... do NOT go in and act like you are the queen and they are peons... in all candor, that's how your question came across to me...  

Answer 2

We use a "Life Skills Student Facilitator Handbook" with my paraprofessionals. It is not a contract, but it states my expectations for them based on the school's requirements and what I would like them to be responsible for. They then sign it to show that they have read the expectations. If there is a discrepancy in the future, I can show my administration the handbook with their signature stating that they understand the expectations. The handbook I use has been gone over with the principal, so he has approved it and is aware of what our expectations are. I would definitely recommend working with your principal on this. As for the evaluation form, are you responsible for their evaluations or is the administration? In the district I am in now, I do their evaluations and we review it with the administrator, but at the last district I was in they were evaluated by the building principal. Find out the guidelines for your district.

As for the previous post about not acting like a queen- the truth is your paras must realize that this is your classroom and you are in charge. You want to work with them to get their input, ideas, and have a good working relationship, but at the end of the discussion, the final decision is yours. It can be difficult as a new teacher to work with paras because they have often been in the classroom before, know some of the kids and sometimes think they know the best way to do everything. I love having paras, they are truly life savers in the room, but you do need to establish yourself as the leader. My first year teaching, I had 3 paraprofessionals who had been working in the classroom for at least 5 years with the same teacher, knew most of the kids and all had their own children who were my age or older and started off viewing me as no more knowledgeable than one of their kids. It took us a few weeks for us all to adjust to the new situation. Be fair and respectful of your paras because they will be your biggest help and support, but make sure to establish your authority. Good Luck to you!

Answer 3

It is good to lay out the plan that you want your paras to follow, but it would be an even better idea to discuss these things with your principal first.  You want to make sure that you are not over stepping the bounds of their original agreement when they hired on.  The paraprofessionals in my district do have very broad guidelines.  The teachers do have the ability to narrow that down.  Just check first because you do want to start off on a good foot with them but you don't need to be at odds with your administrators.

Answer 4

Certifications-

http://ccnptutorials.info/

Answer 5

I think it is a good idea to talk to your paraprofessionals about your expectations, but I would check with your administration before writing a contract or making an evaluation form.  If you are at a public school, the paraprofessionals will have a union contract that overrides anything you would write up.  If the school you're at is not public, the paraprofessionals still should have a job description that spells out their responsibilities.  Your administration will probably provide you with their evaluation forms. In some cases the principal evaluates paraprofessionals with the teacher's input.  You won't want to step on the administration's toes.