Paraprofessional Support Learning: Roles, Responsibilities, and Impact

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the role of paraprofessionals in educational settings. It defines paraprofessionals, also known as instructional assistants, paraeducators, or teaching assistants, and outlines their responsibilities, which include supporting teachers, assisting students with lessons, providing administrative support, and managing student activities. The essay details the evolving nature of the paraprofessional role, highlighting their increasing importance in modern education, including supporting students with special needs, English language learners, and at-risk students. It categorizes the key duties of paraprofessionals, such as implementing teacher-planned instructions, supervising students, and performing clerical and general tasks. The essay also discusses the different titles used for paraprofessionals across various countries and emphasizes their vital connection between educational institutions and the communities they serve. Overall, the essay underscores the essential contribution of paraprofessionals to the educational system, providing a valuable resource for students and educators alike.

Running head: PARAPROFESSIONAL SUPPORT LEARNING
Paraprofessional Support Learning
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Paraprofessional support learning
Introduction
A paraprofessional educator is alternatively known as instructional assistant to any
teacher in a school. It is teaching oriented profession where the paraprofessionals are
responsible for specialised or concentrated assistance for students in elementary and
secondary schools.
In various nations the professionals are known by different titles like in United States
they are known as the paraeducators. Whereas in England and wales the paraprofessionals are
known as teaching assistant. In recent years, legislations have been proclaimed which permits
the teachers to envoy diverse tasks to their teaching assistances. The teaching assistance in
England and wales can smear for higher level teaching assistant status (HLTA), which needs
them to file application in the ways in which their work meets a set of stated standards. Those
Para teachers that have HLTA can in future put on for teacher position and if selected can
become a professional teacher. In Scotland paraprofessionals are known as classroom
assistant and not teaching assistance as teaching is not a portion of a assistant’s concern there.
In Canada the paraprofessionals are recognized as the educational assistant to accent
their standing in educating distinct needs for students. In japan foreign native speakers
employed as paraprofessionals language educators are known as assistant language teachers.
Similar institutions also present in the countries like France and Germany where they are
known as foreign language assistants.
Role of paraprofessionals

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The main role of the paraprofessionals is to look after the activities of the students in a
school and helping them in understanding the lessons that the teachers teaches in the
classroom. The paraprofessional educators also assist the teachers in the classroom and try to
provide administrative support to the teachers. The job duties of the paraprofessional’s ranges
from filling teaching position to complementing regular classroom prospectuses with
additional enhancement events for students. Other position includes classroom assistants,
special education assistants, school library technical assistant and tutors (Brock & Carter
2016).
The paraprofessionals work straight with the students, they used to listen to the tasks
that are given to them in the classes and help them in solving these tasks and to clear any
doubt that they may occur in their mind with related to any lessons that has been taught to
them in the class. Beside that they also used to guide the students regarding various problems
that may occur in their student life. The role of the paraprofessional is not merely in solving
the tasks of the students but also to give the basic knowledge of the living a disciplined and
well-mannered life. The main role is to give all the moral lessons so the student can become a
well human being in future (Amir 2017).
Paraprofessionals are allocated to administer groups of students who are eating
playing outdoor or on filed trip. They may be allocated to do clerical works and backing the
teachers in mark assignment, recording the attendance of the student’s setup equipment and
helping in the preparation of materials for instruction like duplicates of worksheets (Garrote
Dessemontet & Opitz 2017).
Many teacher assistants work primarily for supporting the students who need special
attention. their duty varies in accordance to the needs of the students and may include
physical care of the students who are not able to take care of themselves (such as feeding,

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Paraprofessional support learning
lifting, cleaning) behavioural management or academic assistance (Howley Howley & Telfer
2017).
The paraprofessionals don’t work with the school directly, rather the school district,
mental health agencies, early childhood programs or transitional life agencies after a student
graduate. Paraprofessional can work in other programs that the school district provides, such
as school aged childcare and recess lunch duties. This relates the paraprofessional to the
students but the not the teacher or schools itself.
The role of the paraprofessionals continuously evolving and it will grow further in the
coming days. In the modern days the role of the paraprofessional become very essential and
that leads to the growth of this profession. Today more than ever paraprofessionals are
teaching lessons working with small groups for remediation leading extracurricular clubs and
are no longer simply the teacher’s aide of the past (Pressley 2018).
Paraprofessionals bring immeasurable working in the school across the country and
they typically take the control of 10 to 25 students per year by providing support to these with
disabilities, English with second language students and at-risk students. The
paraprofessionals usually take two years of higher education an associate’s degree or some
form of certified training. The paraprofessionals help teachers save the class by working with
the specially challenged students and helping them keep pace with the other students.
Without the help of the paraprofessionals (Biggs Gilson & Carter 2016).
In many occasions the duty of the paraprofessionals goes beyond the classroom work.
They provide a vital connection between the local educational institutes and the communities
they serve (Brock et al 2017). In short it can be said that the role of the paraprofessionals can
be classified into the following categories
 Executing teacher prearranged instructions

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Paraprofessional support learning
 Collaborating and communal supports
 Supervising students
 Clerical general duties
 Behavioural supports
 Supporting specific student needs
 Special care
The role of the paraprofessionals varies from person to person. In simple words from
assisting the teachers to taking care of the student paraprofessional must cover a wide range
of duty these duties are briefly described under the following points (Giangreco & Suter
2015):
Implementing teacher planned instructions
 Licenced teachers are mainly accountable for the progress and scheduling of
education for students.
 Paraprofessionals would never be requested to design education without the direction
of the teacher
Supervising students
 Paraprofessionals are often requested to supervise the students the supervision duties
include the following
 Supervision of the public room before and after the school
 Supervising apprentices in the play area
 Controlling students during lunch
 Supervising pupils during exams
 Supervising students in the schoolroom during the absence of teachers.
Clerical and general duties

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Paraprofessional support learning
 There are several clerical and general duties that the paraprofessionals have to
perform which includes the following
 Support in front office
 Filling papers
 Grading the marks of students
 Preparing material of instructions
 Providing visual supports
 Modifying instructional materials.
Conclusion
Among all the duties these are the three main duties that the paraprofessionals
required to perform most frequently. The role of paraprofessionals is gaining demand in the
modern days with as they act as medium of communication between the students and the
teachers.

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Paraprofessional support learning
Reference
Amir, M. (2017). Level of Expertise of Paraprofessionals in Managing Children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder (Doctoral dissertation, University of Management & Technology).
Biggs, E. E., Gilson, C. B., & Carter, E. W. (2016). Accomplishing more together: Influences
to the quality of professional relationships between special educators and
paraprofessionals. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 41(4),
256-272.
Brock, M. E., & Carter, E. W. (2016). Efficacy of teachers training paraprofessionals to
implement peer support arrangements. Exceptional Children, 82(3), 354-371.
Brock, M. E., Cannella-Malone, H. I., Seaman, R. L., Andzik, N. R., Schaefer, J. M., Page, E.
J., ... & Dueker, S. A. (2017). Findings across practitioner training studies in special
education: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Exceptional Children, 84(1),
7-26.
Garrote, A., Dessemontet, R. S., & Opitz, E. M. (2017). Facilitating the social participation of
pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools: A review of school-
based interventions. Educational Research Review, 20, 12-23.

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Giangreco, M. F., & Suter, J. C. (2015). Precarious or purposeful? Proactively building
inclusive special education service delivery on solid ground. Inclusion, 3(3), 112-131.
Howley, C., Howley, A., & Telfer, D. (2017). Special Education Paraprofessionals in District
Context. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 29(2).
Pressley, M. D. (2018). Examining Trauma-Informed Care Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions,
and Professional Development Needs of Special Educators and Paraprofessionals in
Therapeutic Alternative Schools: An Exploratory Survey Study.