The Value of Paraprofessionals – Part 2
Written by: Carrie Wisehart
As a new middle school principal, I offered the opportunity for all my staff to schedule a one-on-one meet and greet with me. It was an awesome experience – and it included many paraprofessionals. These meetings only served to confirm some very important values I have developed regarding school staff, more specifically paraprofessionals.
1. We all need to be seen.
In one of my meetings with a paraprofessional, she commented she had noticed I spoke to all the staff, including herself. This was shocking to me. Why wouldn’t I talk with her? She made a comment about levels of importance. It is easy to emphasize and include teachers most of the time – but for a school to operate in the best possible way, an emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that it takes EVERYONE in the school community to make a difference. She needed to feel seen and heard.
2. We all need our own space.
One of my paraprofessionals pointed out that because she moves around all the time, she doesn’t really have her own space to land and put her things. We all need to feel like we have something that belongs to us, and that ownership helps us know we belong. Right away, my admin team started looking for ways to accommodate our paras and give them options for a home base space.
3. We all want to be included.
Sometimes leadership “assumes” paraprofessionals don’t want to come to extra meetings or professional development days. On the contrary, many of the paraprofessionals I met with wanted the ability to learn alongside the teachers they work with on a daily basis. It is important to ask paraprofessionals if they are interested in attending, and then work hard to get them paid for those extra hours.
4. We all need to know we are important.
Utilizing language that is inclusive in staff meetings, emails, and communications is extremely important. Our cafeteria workers, custodians, technology gurus, paraprofessionals, aides, maintenance crew, bus drivers, and other staff are essential to the daily success of our schools. Being mindful of what we say and how we say it – being careful to include ALL staff, is extremely important. In my one-on-one meetings, many paras expressed that they were “just paras.” As leaders, it is our job to shift the culture in that language, helping all staff see their value to the school community. No one is “just” something.
“As leaders, it is our job to shift the culture in that language, helping all staff see their value to the school community. No one is ‘just’ something.”
During a transition period between jobs, my husband took a job as a paraprofessional. This was eye opening for me. As an administrator there are often things we just don’t know because we aren’t living the experience. When he moved into his next job, my husband shared that he thought maybe he was supposed to be in that position so I would understand better what it was like to be a para.
“Our schools are only as strong as our staff climate and culture – so it is our job as leaders to cultivate unity.”
He was right. It has forever changed my perspective and helped me understand just how important it is for us to value our paraprofessionals. Our schools are only as strong as our staff climate and culture – so it is our job as leaders to cultivate unity by seeing our staff, giving them space, helping them belong and seeing their importance.
As we go back to school, let’s remind ourselves that a good school takes a village, and we are just one part. Paraprofessionals are rock stars. Let’s help them see it.
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