INTERVIEW WITH ANNIE

Background: Annie is a special education paraprofessional at a middle school in Idaho.

She has been working for the same school district as an ERR paraprofessional for
about 10 years. She has a nursing degree, and is an excellent teacher assistant. Annie
is in her early 50s. She would make a great special education teacher, however, she
does not want to go on to school so late in life. She takes the initiative to change
bulletin boards in the ERR room, is very punctual and accurate with data collection,
and she is patient and kind with the student she works with as well as any student
who comes in to the classroom where she works. Annie is primarily responsible for a
high needs student with autism who is nonverbal and is sometimes violent. She
volunteered to visit other model programs for autistic students in the area. Annie and
her supervising special education teacher learned about a special instructional
program for non-verbal students with autism called TEACCH. Annie researched the
program on her own time and began to make TEACCH instructional materials. Annie
enjoys the challenge of working with high needs children, and she enjoys working with
her new special education teacher this year, but she is having trouble with two
paraprofessionals who spend only a small part of their day in the same classroom with
Annie. During collaboration with her new special education teacher she has shared
some of her problems with her fellow paraprofessionals, but every idea for resolution
failed to work. She ended up going to another school the fall after her new special
education teacher was moved to a new program.

Q: Annie, how long have you been working for the district as an ERR special education
paraprofessional?

A: At the end of this year it will be 11 years.

Q: How much training has the district provided?

A: I have taken 8 classes for paraprofessionals, but for the last 3 years the district
has canceled offering any professional development for parapros. Its very
frustrating because my salary was frozen for 4 years. Im making less than some
aides who have been here 5-6 years. And now we are not even invited to inservice
days like we used to be.

Q: I know you transferred from the middle school where you worked for the last 3
years to a high school in the middle of this school year. Why did you transfer?

A: I was really enjoying most of last year with a new ERR teacher. The last couple of
years I was under the main ERR teacher, but he was spread too think to pay much
attention to the 2-3 high needs kids in this room. Thats why they hired another
teacher and made her in charge of our classroom. Liz and I were the only
paraprofessionals in this room, taking care of 3 high needs non-verbal students. We
were pretty much on our own. When the new teacher came in last year, she talked to
us, asked us what we needed to work with our students, and she ordered us all kind of
materials and instructional tools. Before that we had pretty much nothing to work
with. The new teacher took me to some model programs for autistic children, went to
professional development classes, and brought back books and ideas for my student
and Lizs student. She also met with us every other morning to find out how things
were going and brainstorm ideas for how to work with our students. The short story
is that I transferred because she left at the end of last year, and I couldnt take the
hostility of another paraprofessional who for some reason seemed to be out to get
rid of me.

Q: What do you think was the problem?

A: I think she thought I wasnt working properly with my studentor any other
students who came into the room. She would complain to the other teachers in the
building. She would glare at me.

Q: Did you try to talk to her about what was going on?

A: Honestly, I was afraid of her. But I did talk to our new teacher last year. She
tried to help, but she wasnt able to do anything about it. Even the principal had a
meeting to try to settle the conflicts between the paras. This one para would get
other paras on her side by gossiping again me and Liz. The stress was terrible. The
meeting with the principal didnt solve anything. One para left and it was a little
better. At the beginning of this year Liz left and then part way through the year I
left for another school as well. People at my new school are so nice and friendly. I am
much more comfortable here.

Q: Over the years that you have worked as a paraprofessional, how have you felt
about the support and collaboration between you and your supervising teachers?

A: Ive had some really great supervising teachers. The ERR teaching team at the
elementary school where I worked for 5 years was absolutely awesome. We had
weekly form teacher-para meetings. They provided written lesson plans and great
materials. It was very professional there. That is contrasted with some places Ive
worked where I was pretty much expected to do most of the communication with
parents, figure out my own lessons, and deal with far too much back-biting and gossip
from my fellow paraprofessional in situations where I began to feel isolated,
hopeless, and cut off from communication. Some schools where Ive worked everyone
is friendly and welcoming to everyone else. Its just a matter of personality conflict I
suppose.

Q: If you had your dream team, what kind of collaboration would you like to see
between paras and between teachers and paras?

A: Well, of course, I think its good if the supervising teacher provides a clear set of
directions and also some training where needed. I think the key though is good
communication. I like to feel that I am a valuable part of a team, but I have a hard
time sticking up for myself. I dont like to complain, so its ideal for me if the teacher
in charge is strong enough to set an example and enforce no gossiping and no
backbitingnot look the other way or even worse, listen to it. I also want to feel
respected, of course, and I appreciate having guidelines and lesson plans to follow. I
dont like it when I have to figure out everything myself. I dont think I get paid
enough for that. (Smiles)