We know that our May started in a whirl, guiding folks through standardized testing for a variety of students. Not just state testing, but English language testing for students who have another home language, then the district assessments. And then the world had to stop for Renay as she had to wrangle just the last few steps through another door. And now the offices of ParaEducate are a little messier just because it is May, but the challenge is not to lose the fact that there is a mess in the main offices of ParaEducate but that Renay is back.
Renay just finished the remainders of her requirements for a degree in Special Education. The finalized results are pending and will be known officially in July. But Renay was sitting with her students this past week and two of her students came over and then leaned over on her. While several times she gently redirected the student to sit independently, they also get a lot of feedback from sitting that close to a trusted adult. And it got Renay to start talking about a few other things that are related to becoming a trusted adult.
Through the Door
Being a trusted adult, let alone a trusted school adult is a process. And we are not talking about HR. It is that emotional trust a student has with you. For some students this is an easy journey. For others, this will be a long side-by-side journey. Connectors like knowing favorites or recognizing things students are great at are not just enough for some students.
For some students this is an easy journey. For others, this will be a long side-by-side journey.
ParaEducate
How to make this transition?
There are many ways. Sometimes it is listening from other people who may know the student better. Other times it is sitting back and watching how other people, including other students interact with the student.
Through What No One’s Been Before
Renay is working in a new district if you miss the post. We are reposting the older blogs as we have time right now to fit the new layout of our new website. One of the traditions of the new district is that the Friday before graduation, students from the high schools are allowed to return to their previous campus and walk in a graduation line and visit with their elementary and early secondary teachers. And in those lines lay the reminder, that in due time, the students Renay was working with would have their own turn in a few years’ time. The gown, the walking, and the promise of the future.
And in those lines lay the reminder, that in due time, the students Renay was working with would have their own turn in a few years’ time.
ParaEducate
With the end of the year imminent, we are winding things down for the blog. We will return in August with our monthly blogs. Take away this academic year that the hope you have built around the students you have worked with. The smiles and the troubles of your coworkers. Whether you are returning or intending to leave working in school, that will remain to be seen.
Why do we give away so much for free?
There are dozens of blogs especially around special education. But the one thing that remains: Paraeducate: the blog remains free. Too many districts are building trainings for paraeducators that remain at the entry level. Too many districts rely on not training paraeducators. And far too many paraeducators just do not know what to look for. By providing our insights for free, we have one pathway to connect to the country. By not taking in email—we provide a service to others.
ParaEducate relies on sales from our store, online through books, and at conferences. ParaEducate is a company training paraeducators to work with students with disabilities in K-12 inclusive settings. We publish a blog monthly and produce adapted curriculum to meet the needs of a variety of learners.
We hope you have a great summer, but we shall see you in August for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Do you have any comments about this months blog? Do you have a question for us? Would you like to have an opportunity to pilot some materials at your campus? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here, and on our website. ParaEducate is a company providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is published during the academic school year once a month. ParaEducate shares their findings at conferences, through their books, and their academic adaptations.
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