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PREPARE PARAEDUCATORS FOR TODAY'S CLASSROOMS
Are you interested in building your school district or educational service agency resources on the following special education issues:
- Paraeducator training?
- Testing and documenting knowledge and skills of paraeducators?
- Administrator’s role in the hiring of paraeducators and mentoring of partner teacher/paraeducator teams?
- Partner teacher/paraeducator teaming?
Then, consider providing direct training to paraeducators and/or hosting a training-of-trainers on LifeLines (LRP Publications), RTI and the Paraeducator's Roles: Effective Teaming (NPR, Inc., publisher), Power Paraeducator, Melding, and Triplicity (LRP Publications) with Dr. Mary Lasater, national expert and author on paraeducator professional development.
Direct training to paraeducators
Dr. Lasater will train paraeducators utilizing Paraeducators: LifeLines in the Classroom training modules developed by herself, Marlene Johnson and Mary Fitzgerald. The six modules (each module is a full day's training) cover essential knowledge and skills in way that are highly interactive and application-based. See below for topics covered in the six LifeLines modules.
LifeLines training is not “sit-get-split-forget” type of training. Each module utilizes strategies with general learning and adult learning theories in mind. LifeLines draws from experiential learning, allowing participants to draw upon past experiences to construct theory and learn from activities embedded in the training.
In addition, as certified 4MAT® trainers, the authors of LifeLines and the TOT have utilized the 4MAT® instructional model based on both learning styles and brain research to guide development of these activities. In doing so, the modules' format should ensure that the needs of a variety of adult learners will be met.
NEW!!!! RTI Paraeducator Training! Dr. Lasater has developed a two-day training for paraeducators to enhance their skills needed to support students and staff in RTI. This training utilizes the RTI and the Paraeducator's Roles: Effective Teaming guide (NPR Inc., publisher) and covers knowledge and skills needed to ensure a proper fit of the "four hats" paraeducators must wear in RTI. This is a "must have" RTI training!
Benefits of hosting an on-site training-of-trainers
- The TOT is scheduled at your convenience, at your facilities.
- After the TOT, you can schedule training to match district staff development days.
- On-site trainers afford you the flexibility of training both existing and new staff.
- User-friendly, comprehensive training materials are already developed for you.
- On-site trainers help you avoid “one-shot” costly consultant fees and travel expenses.
- Initial costs save money in the long run. For the same (or lower) cost of bringing in an outside consultant for one day, you can receive training resources to conduct numerous days of staff development with your own personnel.
- You will begin to build an on-site library of quality training materials that can be used again and again.
- Having on-site trainers promotes on-going staff development.
- A TOT allows for utilization and recognition of on-site resources.
- You are able to tailor the training to align with district and campus improvement and action plans (Dr. Lasater will demonstrate how to make the training materials fit your specific needs.).
- This process enables you to provide refresher courses at the beginning of each new school year.
Training that sticks
As with the LifeLines modules, the TOT draws from experiential learning, allowing participants to draw upon past experiences as both educators and trainers to construct theory and learn from activities embedded in the training.
Three full days are needed for the TOT in order to cover all six modules of Paraeducators: LifeLines in the Classroom (over 900 pages), and how to utilize the Power Paraeducator: Testing and Portfolio Documentation Guide to assess your district’s paraeducators’ knowledge and skills.
As an added bonus, an overview is provided on two other key resources beneficial for building the partner teacher and paraeducator working relationship: Triplicity and Melding. Participants experience many activities from these resources along with numerous opportunities to reflect on how to personalize the training and lay out a long-range implementation plan.
Trainers will leave with the confidence that they can prepare pre-service and in-service paraeducators for today’s classrooms with the necessary skills mandated by IDEA and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Quality field-tested resources of research-based strategies
Resources covered during a TOT include:
A user-friendly series of six facilitator notebooks containing training notes, handout and overhead masters and additional facilitator resources to conduct training for instructional paraeducators who support students with disabilities in general and special education classrooms. There is an accompanying CD ROM for each module that contains PDF files of the overhead, handout, and resource sections as well as of the overheads for awesome LCD panel presentations.
- Module One - Defining the Role of the Paraeducator (roles and responsibilities, communication skills for problem solving, legal issues, and confidentiality issues)
- Module Two - Celebrating Similarities: Students with Disabilities (language and action that promote respect for all students, disability categories, unique perspectives of daily life with a student with disabilities, and areas of educational need and levels of support)
- Module Three - The IEP Process: The Role of the Paraeducator (goals and objectives, assessment issues, formal and informal data collection)
- Module Four - Supporting the Instructional Process (natural supports and consequences, variety of instructional materials, techniques and strategies)
- Module Five - Behavior Improvement Strategies (classroom management strategies, leveling and prioritizing behaviors, functional analysis of behaviors, and behavior change strategies)
- Module Six - Least Restrictive Environment (varying support of students in included in general education environments, teaching for "independence", applying instructional strategies, and examining collaborative strategies)
Written to compliment the six modules in Paraeducators: LifeLines in the Classroom training series, Power Paraeducator includes tests, answer keys, answer sheet master, and portfolio activities to document essential skills and knowledge necessary for today’s paraeducators. Tests and activities are also included on a CD ROM.
Triplicity is a user-friendly guide for busy campus-level administrators to assists them in: determining the needs of students; selecting the paraeducator to meet students' needs; mentoring and evaluating the paraeducator; and facilitating the partner teacher and paraeducator partnership.
A training guide aligned with the LifeLines training series and designed for partner teachers gives opportunities to practice processes and tools that result in a positive working relationship between partner teacher and instructional paraprofessional resulting in the best possible services and supports for students with special needs.
*Additional Melding and Triplicity guides can be ordered as necessary for district staff at $40 each.
Each of these products are available through LRP Publications at www.shoplrp.com or 800-341-7874.
For more information on fees for direct training or hosting a TOT, contact:
Mary Lasater, Ed.D.
604 N. Vine Street
Victoria, Texas 77901
512.695.1780
mlasater1@me.com
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