Special Educator at the Helm: Tips for Training and Supervising a Team of Assistants

Autor/inn/en	Guard, Meghan; Baker, Diana
Titel	Special Educator at the Helm: Tips for Training and Supervising a Team of Assistants
Quelle	In: Journal for Leadership and Instruction, 20 (2021) 2, S.47-50 (4 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2475-6032
Schlagwörter	Special Education Teachers; Job Training; Supervision; Teacher Aides; Guidance + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Special education; Teacher; Teachers; Sonderpädagoge; Sonderpädagogik; Sonderschulwesen; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Berufsqualifizierender Bildungsgang; Handreichung; Lehrerhilfe; Beratung
Abstract	Teaching assistants (TAs) play a large role in the delivery of special education services for students with disabilities in the United States (Brock & Carter, 2015; Stockall, 2014) and "there is undoubtedly a place for well-conceived paraprofessional supports in special education" (Suter & Giangreco, 2009). The sheer number of TAs in U.S. classrooms has increased dramatically in recent years (Reddy et al., 2020): their ranks now outnumber special educators (Suter & Giangreco, 2009). Alongside the boost in numbers, TAs have also experienced a shift in terms of their responsibilities largely moving away from non-instructional and clerical tasks to teaching, implementing behavior plans, recording data, and other complex assignments that require specialized training and knowledge (Sauberan, 2015 and Wallace, Shin, Bartholomay, & Stahl, 2001). Moreover, although TAs are often tasked with educating the students with the most complex learning needs, the majority are not trained in "evidence-based" strategies (Brock & Carter, 2013). Researchers like McGrath and colleagues (2010), thus conclude that TAs do not receive adequate guidance and that the nature of the tasks they are asked to do often is not appropriate given their level of preparation. Research also suggests that paraprofessionals, themselves, feel ill-equipped to carry out their duties (Brown & Stanton-Chapman, 2017). As for the special educators who are charged with supervising TAs, the majority (88%) report relying on real life experiences rather than pre-service training or district-level support to make decisions about how to work with paraprofessionals and many wish more formal training was available (Biggs, Gilson, Carter, 2018). The problem is two-fold: TAs themselves tend to be insufficiently trained and the special educators who would theoretically be positioned to provide supervision and training don't have the knowledge or resources to do so. This article addresses the second part of the equation, providing practical suggestions for special educators who have TAs in their classrooms. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	SCOPE Education Services. 100 Lawrence Avenue, Smithtown, NY 11787. Tel: 631-360-0834; Fax: 631-360-8489; e-mail: contact@scopeonline.us; Web site: http://scopeonline.us
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01