Paraeducator - Mainstream Special Education

Instructional Para educator

This position's responsibilities are to assist certificated staff with instructional and non-instructional activities for mainstream special education students, including instructing students individually or in small groups, monitoring and documenting student behavior and progress, and supervising student activities.

Essential functions depending upon the individual assignment to classrooms or resource rooms, the Para educator - Mainstream Special Education may perform all or a combination of the following:

• Instructs students individually or in small groups in a variety of learning activities to promote student understanding of materials presented.
• Communicates with certificated staff concerning individual student progress; adjusts methods to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities; consults with certificated staff concerning remediation or enrichment activities.
• Assists certificated staff in maintaining records, logs, charts, assignments and other records for assessment of student progress. May correct, score or grade papers and assignments according to guidelines or instructions.
• Supervises student behavior in classrooms, playground, halls, at lunch or breaks, at bus boarding areas, on field trips and at other sites as assigned to promote safe and appropriate student behavior. Corrects behaviors and maintains discipline according to established policies and procedures. Instructs students in behavioral rules and codes for student safety, socialization and individual growth.
• Assists students with interpersonal and personal skills mastery.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication with students, staff, parents and the public for student progress and safety, and community relations.
• May provide physical assistance to handicapped students, such as lifting and positioning or assistance with personal hygiene.
• Monitors need for first aid for injured or ill students and refers for treatment as appropriate.

Other functions may include:

• Alerts qualified district staff to student problems.
• Locates, prepares and/or modifies materials for student use, enrichment activities and special projects under the direction of certificated staff.
• Prepares, duplicates, collates and distributes materials; operates a variety of office equipment.
• May serve on various district committees and/or departmental work teams.
• Models appropriate and cooperative behavior, including protecting confidential information, consistent with district ethical guidelines.
• Performs related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position.

Reporting relationships include reporting to the school principal and receiving guidance from assigned program administrator, assigned teacher or program specialist.

Mental demands may include frequent interruptions, dealing with a wide range of student behaviors and academic abilities, and dealing with a wide range of physical or emotional disabilities. Physical demands may include exposure to ordinary infectious diseases carried by students, exposure to student noise levels, lifting and positioning students and their special equipment such as wheelchairs, working in non-routine positions for extended periods, attending to students' personal hygiene, exposure to biting behavior, and precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids.

Outdoor playground supervision may require working in inclement weather.

Minimum qualifications include education and experience necessary to carry out the assignment, with experience working with school age children and special needs students preferred. For Title One and Title One School-wide Special Education positions there is an associate degree, or proof of completion of the Washington State Para educator Assessment, or two years of higher education requirement per the Federal "No Child Left Behind" Act.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities include demonstrated skill in reading, writing and communicating, knowledge of basic subject areas, ability to deal with students in a warm and confident manner, ability to remain flexible in changes in assignments, ability to organize activities, ability to follow and give instructions, ability to be fair and consistent when working with students, ability to learn effective behavior management techniques, ability to learn effective instructional techniques, knowledge of a variety of behavior and learning disorders, knowledge of student safety rules and procedures, ability to learn the use of computers and various software packages for student instruction and record keeping, ability to learn the operation of general office machines, and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students and staff.

Licenses/special requirements include fingerprinting and background check to determine that there have been no convictions involving physical molestation, abuse, injury or neglect of a minor, completion training in and adherence to district infection control plan, first aid…