It’s been an incredible year for ParaEducate and we love sharing our year with you. Our yearly blog started on August 18, 2016.
- We addressed students in a letter
- We looked at staff and asked them to stand hard when students challenge authority
- We addressed student death
- We shared some exciting news
- We looked at what overreliance might be for some students
- We commiserated over students and their behaviors
- We addressed staff constantly asking for training
- We reminded everyone through the power of the #Kindness that is a part of National Anti-Bullying Month
- We looked at a typical expected schedule of “Todd”
- We publicly announced our SXSWEdu presentation and we talked about the TV phenomena that is “Speechless”
- We talked about making information clearer and gave ways to connect into the community that is the school campus you work with
- We got political and discussed current events prior to the election
- We discussed the disappearance of a paraeducator and what that could mean for some students
- We expressed our gratitude for the nuances of special education and the tireless work of staff both special education and general education
- We updated an old blog post that was lost prior to the great blog dump of 2014
- We celebrated National Inclusive Schools Week by reminding everyone that we’re #BetterTogether
- Heading into December break, we discussed the nuances of holiday diversity, manners of adults, and addressing behaviors
- We came back a week later than anticipated, by discussing our resolutions
- We also looked at the importance of CPR/First Aid
- February came in and we looked at how social situations during winter looks different and the importance of vigilance but not necessarily intervening to see what skills might actually need to be addressed
- We put up our 21 qualities of paraeducators, a rescued blog from 2014
- We shared the stories of many California Teachers of the Year, especially that of Megan Gross, formerly of ParaEducate
- Most importantly: we celebrated our fifth year of business as a company
- We looked at the use of time and the commitment to end the use of the R-Word
- The following week, we had the ability to recap our experiences at SXSWEdu
- We broached the topic of the spring time grade slide that happens for many students
- We spoke of the endless worries that some special education staff, and many in education experience in their careers
- We looked at the importance of widening the circle of professional support for educators
- We were blunt about the fact that school is important but not everything needs to be done
- Through the lens of EdRev, we re-examined the ability to tell stories and discussed honoring all professionals at schools
- And then we came to May, we looked at the end of the year behaviors, addressing the preparations for the end of the year, and we also celebrations that come when students start exceeding previous beliefs of abilities at this time of year.
And all of that brings us to today. Our last blog of the year.
One of our little secrets: we honestly don’t actively procrastinate with our posts, though a few were assembled much later than we prefer this year. We actively check not just social media but our colleagues in other districts to find out what might need to be addressed. We know if one person is experiencing a specific event, that someone else somewhere is also experiencing the behavior, the loneliness, and the struggles of working in a nebulous field.
We enjoy celebrating the events that happen for all paraeducators. And we know that campuses are all celebrating and we encourage you to be a part of the festivities. We ask administrators and PTAs to remember that everyone in a school is a part of the community that is geared to help all students learn.
One more thing before we officially sign off for the 2016-2017 school year, firstly, we anticipate our 2017-2018 blog will begin August 17th. We have a new book heading into the publishers and we will let you know when that is available.
We would also like to thank our readers for this incredible year. We can’t wait to see you in August.
ParaEducate returns August 17, 2017 for the new academic year. Do you have any comments about this week’s blog? Do you have a question for us? Would you like to be a guest blogger? Would you like to have an opportunity to pilot some materials at your campus? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here, here, and on our website. Paraeducate is a company interested in providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is published weekly during the academic school year on Thursdays, unless a holiday. ParaEducate shares their findings at conferences, through their books, and their academic adaptations
