PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS
Before I tell you all about this program, let's talk about who this is really for...
This program is for you if you are the supervisor of special educators or related service providers who are struggling within their role of managing paraprofessionals.
This program is for you if your teachers are ineffective leaders because they were never adequately trained how to be a boss to anyone and aren't prepared for this new role.
And this program is for you if you are committed to supporting your teachers as they put in the work to make this the year they finally move past the "I don't know how to be a boss" mentality and instead build strong teams and retain quality paraprofessionals.
Your staff will benefit if they...
- Are new to the field of special education and have no clue how to be a boss to anyone
- Currently have one or more paraprofessionals under their supervision and are struggling with how to be an effective leader
- Have been in the trenches for a while but need to learn how to grow and nurture the relationships they've already made
I'm going to tell you exactly how this course will give your teachers the tools, inspiration and support they need on their journey to becoming an amazing leader for their own staff.
By the end of this course, your teachers will have learned how to...
Unit 1: Build A Team
The best way to staff a special education program is to do the hard work up front, and interviewing is the first step to building a team.
In the first section of the training, your teachers will learn how to interview and hire the most qualified candidates and how to set them up for success before the paraprofessional even begins working in their classroom.
They will then learn the importance of clearly communicating their expectations so that prospective staff members know exactly what they are signing up for and to ensure they are a right fit for that program.
Before pulling the trigger, let potential paraprofessionals observe within a teacher's classroom for a day or two so they can see how the department operates and what will be expected of them as an employee.
Unit 2: Train A Team
So why exactly does your staff need training on how to work with paraprofessionals? Well did you know that only 22% of the states have professional development programs to assist paraprofessionals in their efforts to attain highly qualified status!?
That's only 11 states, and unfortunately, mine didn't make that list. But whether or not your state has a program or not, training HAS TO BE DONE.
Training the paras who work within the district benefits everyone...the admin, the teachers, the paras themselves and most importantly the kids.
Here, your teachers will learn why it is important to train their paras and gives them explicit instruction on how to provide this training using the included paraprofessional handbook. Once the handbook is printed, only minor changes will need to be made to it each year
Unit 3: Support A Team
By now, your staff will have the knowledge of how to hire the best candidate and how to actually train them once they are hired.
Nextwe will move into Unit 3...Support Your Team. This is where the real work begins. The day in and day out support that paras will need in order to do their jobs effectively and to make your programs the envy of the district.
This section shows teachers the importance of having systems & procedures in place for when issues arise or more direct training is needed. This section instructs teachers on how to be an effective leader through communication and how to rate job performance.
Unit 4: Be A Team
Your staff has hopefully learned a ton of new information about building, supporting and training special education paraprofessionals.
In the last unit of the Ultimate How-To Guide for Training Paraprofessionals, we will learn how to Be a team. It's easy to just call yourself a team but it's a whole different matter of actually BEING a team.
This unit will teach special educators the importance of intentionally building relationships by getting to know the para and by having their backs during stressful situations. By following the steps in this unit, your teachers and the paras assigned to them will grow into an actual team.
Q & A
When presenting this information in person, I receive lots of questions regarding specific situations. In this section, I will explain four of those questions and how I would respond in those particular instances.
Teachers are then allowed to submit their own questions and will receive direct feedback and advice during live Q & A sessions with me.
Ready to Enroll Your Staff?
What Teachers Are Saying...
Bethany R.
"Last year was my first as a Special Ed teacher and the hardest part was working with my paras! I am determined to set up better relationships/communication with them moving forward. This resource is amazing and exactly what I need. It covers areas I wouldn't have thought to on my own and is easy to edit parts to fit my needs. Thank you for this terrific resource!"
Barbara W.
"When my principal emailed us and said she wanted a binder for our paras by the end of the week, I just sat there and stared at the email for a while. I had no clue what to include in this binder.. what would be helpful, what would be beneficial, what would they actually want or need.... Then I came across this resource! I am so happy I found it. You took all of the guess work out of this process for me. Thank you"
Lauren Z.
"This is, by far, the BEST para handbook I have come across. Thank you so much for creating a truly wonderful, thoughtful, and useful resource!!!"
Why Do Your Teachers Need Help In This Area?
Because they don't receive enough (or any) of it in college
IDEA 2004 allows school districts to use paraeducators to assist in the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities, provided the paraeducators are appropriately trained and supervised by qualified special education personnel.
"Appropriately Trained"
As a special education teacher who has worked in this field for over 25 years, I have seen first hand that our teachers are not being prepared to "appropriately train" their paraprofessional staff.
In fact, Kansas University, who has the #1 ranked Special Education Masters program in the country, does not include any coursework for directly supervising and training paraprofessionals.
How can we "appropriately train" our paraprofessionals when we ourselves are not "appropriately trained" to do so?
According to Learning Forward.org...
"Professional development is the only strategy school systems have to strengthen educators' performance levels."
By providing professional development to your staff in a format that is individual in nature, well organized and addresses real challenges they face in your schools and classrooms, you will find value in what you are learning and then pass the knowledge onto your staff.
AND...no more complaining about PD that is "one-size-fits all", "a waste of time", or "irrelevant."
Some Staff Members Are Already Confident Leaders...Is This REALLY For Them?
Of course not all educators are created equal. Some teachers are already strong in their abilities to effectively supervise staff and build a cohesive team that works well together for the benefit of the students, department and school.
So you might be asking yourself, do all my teachers really need this training?
YES!
This training has been found to be highly useful for even the teachers who seemingly "have it all together." This professional development program is for ALL teachers. We all have our strengths and we all have blind spots where we need to improve. This training will bring ALL teachers to a higher level of productivity.
Teachers and paraprofessionals will feel supported
Retention rates for both teachers and paras will increase
District culture and commitment will improve
In 2015, (20 years after I first started teaching) the idea of this type of training seeped its way into my consciousness and I thought to myself...Why wasn't something like this created before now? I would have loved to learn from a seasoned, experienced special educator who knew what I was going through by living it every day for 20 years.
So take a step in the right direction and start the school year off by supporting your teachers.
The Program + Bonuses
(Because we all love extra stuff!)
4 Sessions of Live Q&A
Questions answered within a private Zoom Meeting
How to Build a SPED Schedule
An extra training showing the exact process I use to schedule each year
Para Preference Survey Swipe File
Get to know your paras likes & dislikes with this easy to use survey
When you add it all up, the cost of the training PER TEACHER comes to $499
But because I'm super excited to welcome you into the course, I'm giving you the opportunity to enroll your entire staff of teachers and related service providers in the Ultimate How-to Guide to Train Paraprofessionals TODAY at a special district price.
If you're not satisfied, neither am I
No questions asked money-back guarantee
Now I want you to know that I do offer a money back guarantee but I’m only looking for serious action takers...those of you who know your staff needs help becoming better leaders and are willing to invest in providing professional development to help them become stronger teachers.
So if you purchase the course and decide this isn’t for you...that you are content with the way things are operating for you...I respect that and won’t ask any questions. You can receive a full 100% refund after 7 days of the start of the course.
Talk about low risk!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teachers can I train?
My teachers are feeling overwhelmed with the stress of being a leader. Are you sure they can do this?
I have new teachers who don't know what they don't know yet. Is it too soon to take this course?
When I join, will we be getting immediate access to all the units and lessons?
How does everyone get access?
What's my role in facilitating the training?
Is a new para binder needed each year?
Will Jennifer be available and accessible to answer questions if I get stuck?
Can I pay with a purchase order?
Why should you trust me?
I personally cannot wait to guide your teachers over these next few weeks...
Creating a cohesive, well-ran special education department has literally changed my life.
I've experienced first-hand what it feels like to transition from the "I don't know how to be a boss" mentality, to being at the helm of a highly successful and highly praised special education department.
More than anything else, I want to share that with you today.
If you are an administrator who supervises special education teachers or related service providers, you owe it to them to at least take a risk-free plunge to see what this course could do to increase your retention rates and make your teachers feel supported.
I want your teachers to experience for themselves the freedom that comes with implementing this program, and for them to take real, tangible steps to transform the lives of their paraprofessionals.
Should you choose to accept my invitation, I personally guarantee that these next few weeks will completely and utterly change the way your staff "does business."
I look forward to meeting you and your teachers personally inside the Sped Prep Academy® course.
💗 Jennifer
Enroll in the How-to Guide to Training Paraprofessionals Today!
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