Wow, I cannot believe how fast my first school year as a Paraprofessional flew by so fast! I will be honest and say it has been a crazy start to my career.
Right before I started in the school I was working in for the school district, I already get told I would be working in a completely different classroom than originally assigned to. I am so glad though it changed for me! I got to continue working with students living with Autism! It was with an older group of elementary school students than I did for a different school district for their extended school year program last summer, but I love working with elementary school students! My co-paraprofessionals I worked with and my classroom teacher all loved my bubbly personality and smile. Also, they felt I worked really well with the students. I loved everyone in that classroom! I got told a lot from others working in that school as well about my positive presence around working with the students that I worked with. I really appreciated that so much from everyone, and I loved the classroom I worked in.
When Corona-virus started back in March, I was challenged to do more beyond my role as a Paraprofessional. I was communicating with the parents and students with the classroom teacher, I was helping keep track of our students’ goals, I helped research activities and created materials that we used for our whole-class sessions and individual sessions, and etc. Teaching virtually with my classroom teacher has had its challenges, but also brought all of us strength about using our creativity to provide instruction individually to students and as a whole-class online. Also, it helped strength communication and collaboration between my co-workers and with the students and their families. Google classroom is a really amazing resource to keep the class together, from communication to collaboration.
I believe my career will continue to teach me more about how I am when I work with students, from being patient to resourcefulness, and to creativity of providing instruction. Also, my career will continue to teach me more about communication and collaboration. As a paraprofessional, I am a life-long learner like everyone else and this is only the beginning of my career.
First off, thank you. Being a para is a thankless hard job that is not for everyone! I have only had experience with one para who made a positive difference in my son’s school experience and that was in elementary. Since then I have dealt with bitter paras who take my son’s behavior personally, don’t follow his Iep, blame him 95% of the time, are defensive and bitter with me and very resentful of their jobs. So thank you for being a true friend of the autism community! ❤️
Aw, thank you so much!! I really appreciate it! I do everything I can for my students as a para, supporting all of the students needs first, including following their IEP and being patient and kind to all students I work with.