How to Plan for Para Support in a Self-Contained Classroom

If you teach a self-contained classroom, you know that paraprofessionals can be extremely helpful for both you and the students. It can be difficult to plan for exactly how you’d like to utilize their support. Read on to find out some tips for how to best plan for para support in the self-contained setting.

A paraprofessional helping a student with her work

Have paraprofessionals help you prep materials

Every teacher knows that there is a lot of prep work that goes into planning a typical day at school. Whether it’s making copies, cutting, bulletin boards, laminating, etc., the list never ends. Having an extra set of hands to help with tasks that are not specific teacher duties is great. This can help you focus on the things that only you can do (answering emails, grading, etc.)

Sometimes it can feel awkward to delegate tasks to others, but try to remember, paraprofessionals are there to help you so that the day can run smoothly. The more you plan ahead for your classroom lessons and activities, the easier it will be to delegate tasks, especially ones that are more tedious and time consuming.

A bulletin board for back to school that says "our work is on point"

Have paraprofessionals provide 1:1 support

Another huge benefit of having para support in the classroom is they can work one on one with students who may need help with their schoolwork. If a student is struggling, paraprofessionals can sit with them and provide scaffolding support.

Paraprofessionals can also check student work for errors before it is turned in, provide feedback, etc. You as the teacher can plan for this by getting to know your students’ strengths and areas of need and giving the para a heads up on who you would like them to sit with and support.

In addition to academic support, paraprofessionals can also provide behavioral support. If a student is having a difficult time following directions, focusing, staying safe, etc., paraprofessionals can take the student for a walk or a break.

A male teacher walking with a student with his arm around him

Have paraprofessionals provide small group support and instruction

Paraprofessionals can also run small groups in a self-contained classroom as well. The routines need to be taught and established, but once they are in place, they can greatly benefit students.

Typically, paraprofessionals do not teach new material to students. However, they can review material and help students complete tasks where they are reinforcing previously taught concepts.

In my 6:1:1 classroom, I use the last period of the day for centers. I do ELA centers on Mondays and Wednesdays, and math centers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am lucky enough to have had at least 2 paraprofessionals in my classroom the past 3 years I have been at my school.

During this time, I will have one of the paras assist students with doing something on their chromebooks. Typically, it is playing a game on websites like abcya or splashlearn to reinforce concepts. My other para will assist them in completing some sort of worksheet or game to reinforce concepts, while I either do some assessment or another activity.

Even if you only have one para, you can still have him/her run a center or small group. Below is a slide I have projected on our Smart Board to let the students know which center they are assigned to for each rotation.

Here is a blog about how to effectively manage paraprofessionals during centers.

Paraprofessionals can be a great asset to a classroom and can provide lots of support. As the teacher, you can plan ahead for them to help prep materials and work with students both one on one and in a small group.