Working as a Paraprofessional in Special Education
- Student Ambassadors
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Sarah Wilde
McKay Student Ambassador
Special Education
With the school year coming to a close, many of us are wondering what we want to do next. If you're looking for a new job for next year, you should consider working in the schools! A student ambassador wrote a post about substitute teaching, which I have linked here. In this post, I'm going to talk about a job that's a little more specific to the Special Education majors: working as a paraprofessional, or para, for short. This is a great way to start networking with school districts and teachers besides the ones you work with during practicum.
What is it like to work as a paraprofessional?
I have worked as a para for a summer program two years in a row and as a substitute during the school year. All of these times, I worked with the same teacher, some of the same paras, and some of the same students. It was nice to get to know their styles, and the longer I worked with them the more comfortable I got in the classroom. I knew this teacher in advance because she had taught two of my brothers when we were younger. She helped them a ton, so I knew that she was a great teacher and someone I should try to learn from.
I got to spend time working with students one on one and with the whole group. On days where I was there for the whole day, I would help them eat lunch, do reading time, go to recess, and go to class with our part-time students. Because the school was small, there were students with all ranges of needs in one classroom. We had students who needed more academic support, and students who needed walkers, wheelchairs, and standers. I was introduced to all sorts of student needs and was able to see what resources are available. I would have had a very different experience had I been in a different classroom.
Hiring Tips
Depending on the position you apply for, different people will be involved in the hiring process. In most cases, the special Education teacher will be involved in your interview. When I went to the McKay School's networking event called "Dinner with a Principal", I learned several tips for job interviews in education. While you won't be applying to be a teacher, these tips will help you make a good impression on the teacher and principal, which may help you get other jobs in the future! Some of the things the principals said at the event are simple, such as wearing a blazer to the interview. They also suggested researching the school beforehand to show you are truly interested. Know what the school stands for, what their goals are, and what programs they have. Knowing more about the school will also help you adjust when you first start.
Links and Instructions
Finding job openings for paras is so different on each district's website! To save you some trouble, I have some links, instructions, and tips for you here.
Nebo:
Start at the district's website found here.
Click the "Jobs" option on the top ribbon.
Start applying the filters for the position you want. Select the school(s), grade level(s), and employment type (part-time or full-time) you are looking for.
Before selecting a department or category, look through the jobs that appear with the filters you have applied to your search. Not all of the para jobs are listed the same, so to make sure all of your opportunities appear on the page, hold off on selecting more than your desired school, grade level, and employment type.
NEBO School District doesn't list any jobs as "para" or "paraprofessional", instead, they list them as "classroom technicians".
Provo:
Start at the district's website found here.
Scroll down and click "Employment".
Underneath the title, "Employment Opportunities", Click the link that says "Provo City School District employment opportunities."
Begin searching at your desired school or use the search bar to find para openings at any school!
If you are comfortable addressing medical needs in the classroom, look under the "Health Services Personnel" category for para positions that include helping students with more complex medical needs.
Wasatch:
Start at the district's website found here.
Scroll down and click "Employment".
Click the "Classified" Option.
Click on your desired school, and then click "Classified". Or, if you don't have a preference of school, click "Classified" just under the search bar.
Alpine:
Start at the district's website found here.
Scroll down and click "Employment".
Click "View All Openings".
On the left side of the screen, begin your search through Location or Category. The category is "CLASSIFIED - Special Education"
When searching by school, make sure to apply for the position you are actually working for! SPED teacher jobs are on the list right next to para jobs.
Jordan:
Start at the district's website found here.
Scroll down and click "Employment" on the right side of the screen.
Click "Job Opportunities - APPLY HERE"
Click "Education Support - APPLY HERE"
Begin searching by Location or Category. The category is "ESP - Special Education".
Paras are called "Instructional Assistant" in this district. You can pick Jobs for the Behavior Units will also appear.
Good luck on your search! Working as a para will help you gain lots of experience and make some money at the same time!
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