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The world of education, in a professional sense, is changing drastically. With the new influx of professionally trained Paraeducators entering the workplace a new chain of command is forming. The job of the educational assistant or classroom aid is not just for volunteers or interning education majors any more. People holding degrees in educational assistance are looking for professional and personal recognition.

Paraeducators are professionally trained instructional assistance or aids. Most states do not have a professional Paraeducation degree offered but the laws regarding certification are changing. Many states now require the classroom assistant to have an associate of science degree and nationally the laws are also following this trend. That does not mean that classroom volunteers will not be welcome. It simply means that the education system is broadening in order to meet the needs of the students the best way possible.

As with any change, it is hard for some people to adjust to a new way of doing things. For some it is because they, as teachers, are also new to the workforce and have not had the experience of working with a professionally trained classroom assistant. For others, a natural feeling of fear may develop when the Paraeducator enters the classroom. They may feel as if some of their classroom control is being taken away among other reactions.

The important thing to remember is that the Paraeducastor is there for the same reason as the lead teacher. They love to see children learn and succeed and want to help the students in any way possible. The lead teacher needs to know that the Paraeducator is there to help them, support the lesson plan, and take a great deal of weight from their teacher's shoulders by taking on many different types of responsibilities.

What Can They Do?

The first step in creating a healthy environment and working relationship is to understand what the teaching assistant can do. A good place to begin is with the state board of education. First find out what positions and duties the state expects the Paraeducator to fill and do. Some states rank Paraeducators. Each level gives them new duties to perform. At the entry level, a Paraeducator can assist the teacher in testing, classroom management, one-on-one or small group instruction. The second level allows the Paraeducator to take on teaching lesson units to the whole class as well as other responsibilities. At the highest level Paraeducators can teach the majority of the

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