Paraeducator - Non-Mainstream Special Education EBD

About the role

This position’s responsibilities are to assist certificated staff with instructional and non-instructional activities for non-mainstreamed special education students, generally in a self-contained classroom, including instructing students individually or in small groups, assisting students with basic life skills, and supervising student behavior activities.

Responsibilities

• Instructs moderately to severely handicapped students individually or in small groups in a variety of learning activities to promote student understanding of materials presented.
• Provides encouragement, reinforcement and achievement of educational objectives and goals defined by certificated staff.
• Assists in the administration of objective tests or other measurements.
• Communicates with certificated staff concerning individual student progress; adjusts methods to meet the needs of a wide variety of students; 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.
• Attends to student physical and safety needs; monitors students for medical risks such as seizures and behaviors that may result in harm to themselves or others.
• Corrects behaviors and maintains discipline according to established policies and procedures.
• Assists students with toileting, which may include catheterization and diapering; attends to the personal hygiene needs of students.
• Assists students in washing hands and face, brushing teeth and hair, and taking showers.
• Assists students with interpersonal and personal skills mastery; helps feed students and teaches social aspects of eating with others.
• Assists students with basic living skills and pre-vocational activities.
• Works with students to develop communication skills; facilitates integration of students with age-group peers to the extent possible.
• Establishes and maintains effective communication with students, staff and parents for student progress and safety, and community relations.
• Provides physical assistance to students, such as lifting or positioning.
• Uses adaptive equipment to communicate with students; follows and documents procedures established by physical therapist.
• Monitors need for first aid for students and refers for treatment as appropriate.
• Maintains cleanliness and hygiene of classroom, implements and equipment.
• Washes dishes; cleans and disinfects tables and counters; washes and dries clothes, towels, washcloths and bibs.
• 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.
• Maintains physical appearance of classroom and other assigned areas; maintains, assembles and stores therapeutic and other equipment as assigned; maintains supplies as assigned.
• 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.

Schedule

6.5 hours per day at 178 days per year. 7 hours per day for 4 days for the first year and 2 days each year following until certification is completed.

Pay

PSE Salary Schedule Level 5 – $25.40 per hour.

Requirements

• Must be 18 years of age.
• Hold high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Successfully passed the ParaPathway Assessment or Pearson Paraprofessional assessment; or
• AA degree or higher; or
• Earned seventy-two (72) quarter credits or forty-eight (48) semester credits at an accredited institution of higher education; or
• Completion of registered apprenticeship program offered by the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries; or
• Successful completion of The Master Teacher Inc. Paraeducator Online Training Program.

Required Training

• Must complete Right Response Training within 3–5 months of hire and renew certification annually.
• Must successfully complete the Fundamental Course of Studies (FCS) and General Paraeducator Certificate of the state-mandated Paraeducator Certificate Program per State requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated skill in reading, writing and communicating.
• Knowledge of basic subject areas, such as reading and math.
• 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 and implement effective behavior management techniques.
• Ability to learn and implement 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students and staff.
• Ability to diffuse situations and resolve conflicts.
• Willing to be trained in a variety of medical procedures if necessary, such as administration of medication, tube feeding, etc.

Licenses/Special Requirements

• Requires fingerprinting and background check to determine that there have been no convictions involving physical molestation, abuse, injury or neglect of a minor.
• Must complete training in and adhere to district infection control plan.
• May be required to obtain first aid and CPR certification.
• Hepatitis-B immunization is offered.

Reporting

Reports to the school principal or assigned administrator; receives guidance from certificated staff.

Mental Demands

May experience frequent interruptions; required to deal with a wide range of student behaviors and academic abilities; required to deal with a wide range of physical or emotional disabilities; may occasionally deal with distraught or difficult students.

Physical Demands

Potentially exposed to ordinary infectious diseases carried by students; exposed to student noise levels; required to lift and position students and their special equipment such as wheelchairs; required to work in non-routine positions for extended periods; may be required to attend to students’ personal hygiene; may be exposed to biting behavior; may need to take precautions to avoid exposure to student bodily fluids; playground supervision requires working outdoors in inclement weather.