Educating America Getting Started: A Teacher’s Planning Guide for Including Adult Assistants
Paddy Eger
Educating America Getting Started: A Teacher’s Planning Guide for Including Adult Assistants Copyright © 2014 Paddy Eger. All Rights Reserved. www.PaddyEger.com Published by Tendril Press™ September, 2014 www.tendrilpress.com PO 441110 Aurora, CO 80044 303.696.9227 All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America. Forms are available as PDF Downloads at PaddyEger.com In the main menu click on Educating America, from that menu, click on Resources, next choose the pdf you want. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Tendril Press and Paddy Eger. The material in this book is furnished for informational use only and is subject to change without notice. Tendril Press assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the documents contained in this book. ISBN: 978-0-9858933-6-1
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First Publishing: January 2015 Author Photo by: Yuen Lui www.YuenLuiStudio.com Lynnwood, WA 425.771.3423 Cover Photo by shutterstock.com: Art Direction, Book Design and Cover Design © 2008-14. All Rights Reserved by A. J. Images Inc. Business Design & Publishing Center www.AJImagesinc.com — 303•696•9227 Info@AJImagesInc.com
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Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................ 5 Section One: Get Ready .................................................................. 6 Section Two: Make a Plan .............................................................. 10 Section Three: Train Assistants .................................................... 25 Section Four: Follow-up Ideas ........................................................ 43
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How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. —Anne Frank
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Introduction As a teacher, you work long hours reading curriculum and studying and creating materials to help your students grow and learn. School districts, states and national standards require educators to accomodate a wide variety of skill levels in students. These mandates increase your workload. It’s time we move beyond asking parents to bring cookies to parties and inviting community members to attend school concerts and events. It’s time to use parents as resources to help our classrooms. It’s time to engage the greater community in educating our country’s students. Trained classroom assistants (para educators, parents, community members, retired citizens and service groups) enhance student learning in important ways. These valuable members can: improve student time on task (less time spent waiting for help) accommodate individual needs through 1:1 assistance implement review and enhancement sessions increase the amount of curriculum topics that may be covered Although their support is a great idea, most teachers have questions that need answers before they invite assistants into their classroom. This workbook is designed to help focus your thinking before you put out the call for classroom assistants. It stands alone but also supplements and expands on the information provided in the award-winning book, Educating America: 101 Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms. The Workbook is divided into four sections presented in sequential order. Each section provides ample space for your personal notes, so grab a pen or pencil and let’s get started! The more you pre-plan, the easier it is to transition into adding assistants. Section One: Get Ready suggests you look inward to decide if inviting assistants into your classroom matches your style. Additional adults require additional work; your teaching style will dictate how and when you will feel comfortable with extra adults present in your classroom. Section Two: Make a Plan lays out ideas to help you organize your classroom as well as your curriculum, your expectations and your daily schedule. Section Three: Train Assistants suggests training ideas and topics to prioritize during assistant training sessions. Section Four: Follow-up Ideas captures future meeting topics, ideas for monitoring assistants and useful resources. Find free sample educational materials at paddyeger.com, click the link to Educating America, in the top menu next to the writing pen, then choose Resources from the Educating America menu.
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Section One: Get Ready Before you invite assistants into your classroom, consider your classroom and ask yourself: What is my teaching style? What traits do I look for in those with whom I work? Where will I find assistants? What potential roadblocks do I need to consider?
What is my teaching style? Our styles vary as much as we vary in the kind of books we like to read or the kind of dessert we enjoy. Opening your classroom to more adults can be an eye opening change. For some teachers, that change is overwhelming; the stress of getting there may overshadow the potential benefits. Let’s consider your personal teaching style. Style A—Self Assured 1. comfortable making decisions for others without their input 2. prefer to maintain complete control of the classroom Style B—Laid Back 1. prefer to let each person select and plan their own materials 2. able to handle disruptions and unexpected changes in your day Style C—Participatory 1. set goals, provide resources and manage others through direct and group decision-making practices 2. require those in the group model classroom standards Inviting classroom assistants into your space requires a mixture these traits. Teachers must remain in charge so that educational goals are met. Consider your style. Key traits you need to ‘own’ include: organized and flexible comfortable training others patient as people enter and exit your classroom during the day willing to develop plans for a variety of class activities while maintaining and teaching to your educational objectives. If this doesn’t sound like you but you want to ‘test drive’ adding assistants, try using adult assistants around the edges of your classroom: reading with students during independent reading times, reviewing/practicing student skills or providing clerical assistance. 6
As you become more comfortable with adults coming and going, try adding one small group each morning and/or afternoon. As your number of groupings increase, I hope you’ll discover you can accommodate a greater number of student needs.
What traits do I look for in those with whom I work? The following list of traits is a starting point for the kinds of skills you value the most in classroom assistants. Circle a total of ten traits. team player
teachable
self-starter
practical
resourceful
organized
focused
takes direction
creative
likes kids
responsible
empowers others
independent
reliable
calm nature
follow through
tech savvy
on time
patient
thoughtful
structured yet flexible
honors confidentiality
follows directions/rules/procedures
appropriate verbal skills
understands child development
diplomatic
__________________________
__________________________
Tough to choose isn’t it? All of these traits have merit. As you begin your search for classroom assistants, share your initial traits list with prospective assistants and express to them why you value those traits in your classroom.
Where will I find assistants? Start with your current classroom parents. They know your school, your classroom and your expectations. Reach out through a variety of avenues. Several have found assistants through: parents of former students
friends & neighbors
networking groups
school parent groups
local college students
seniors citizens
local businesses
high school students needing community service hours
service groups: Rotary, Kiwanis, NAACP, the Y, RSVP(Retired Senior Volunteer Program), Big Brother-Big Sister, church youth outreach programs, etc.
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Paddy Eger is an established expert and veteran teacher with years in the Parent Cooperative Education Program. As the award-winning author of Educating America book, desk-top flipbook and this companion workbook, she shares her expertise and provides insights into simple strategies and action plan for lasting. The best way to reach paddy to discuss planning and availability for your school is via the contact us form at Paddy Eger.com Information about honoraria and expenses and general arrangements is available via email or phone. Visit PaddyEger.com today and see what Paddy can do for you.
Forever the answer to overcrowding, vanishing budgets, and increased teacher demands has been “Get some volunteers!” Teachers and librarians know it just isn’t that simple. A helpful volunteer works with clear directions, explicit responsibilities, and the expectation that he or she will also learn something Eger’s book is a practical primer for teachers and volunteers. Any classroom support orientation would do well to use this guide as a road map to success... The author apparently knows her stuff! Experience counts, but the ability to organize and present that experience to others is a rare gift. Recruit some volunteers and get them trained up! —Garlics This workbook is a great resource for developing a team of assistants for my classroom. The ideas and the charts are practical and easy to follow; the free resources on the website will save me lots of time. I wish I’d had the ideas over my past 18 years of teaching. I’m glad I’ll have them from now on. They work for all grades, pre-K through high school, when teachers plan for using assistants. —Amy E. high school deaf education and CTE teacher
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Not ready to train your own volunteers? Invite Paddy Eger to do the training for you. What Can Paddy Do for You? She will:
help clarify your specific goals and desired results for the addition of assistants to your classroom through a detailed pre-visit interview. help develop ways to add assistants to your classroom without requiring additional planning time. help prioritize strategies to attract, plug-in and train assistants. help generate ideas to monitor assistant effectiveness. enhance assistant’s confidence, productivity and engagement. Paddy Eger, veteran teacher from the Edmonds School District 15 in Washington state, participated in classrooms as a community volunteer, a parent volunteer, and a parent trainer as well as a teacher in primary and intermediate grades. Her years in the PCEP, the Parent Cooperative Education Program, as a successful teacher and trainer created the foundation for her awardwinning book, Educating America: 101 Strategies for Adult Assistants in K-8 Classrooms and its companion, Educating America Desktop Flipbook. All the practices are educationally sound, day-to-day practices used by Paddy, other teachers, parent helpers and adult assistants. Through these books and her training of volunteers, adults become competent, enthusiastic, and committed to helping students grow and learn.
Paddy graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in elementary education. An interest in teaching began in sixth grade when she ‘taught’ spelling to her classmates. Her dedication to children and her profession has resulted in her receiving two awards: a PTA Golden Acorn and Teacher of the Month from her local educational association. Paddy is a Washington native. She and her husband have two adult children. They divide their time between Edmonds and Hood Canal near Belfair, WA with seasonal trips to Kailua-Kona, HI. They also enjoy international travel. In her free time, Paddy enjoys writing children’s books, reading, editing others writing and creating fiber art pieces. She is walking an imaginary perimeter of the USA; thinking about our vast country helps her ignore wet western Washington days. 47
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