Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network PaTTAN

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Credential of Competency Standard 9
Professional and Ethical Practice

• Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance
  Network (PaTTAN)
• March 10, 2009

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• Pennsylvanias Commitment to
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Recognizing that the placement decision is an
  Individualized Education Program (IEP) team
  decision, our goal for each child is to ensure
  IEP teams begin with the general education
  setting with the use of Supplementary Aids and
  Services before considering a more restrictive
  environment.

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District, IU, Preschool, Agency Policy
Your local districts policies regarding
paraeducator job descriptions, duties, and
responsibilities provide the final word!
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Agenda

• Professional and Ethical Practices for
  Paraeducators
• Personal and Cultural Biases and the Educational
  Setting
• Strategies for Building Positive Relationships
  with Staff and Students

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Learner Outcomes

• Participants will
• List ethical practices required to support both
  students and colleagues in the work environment
• Describe types of biases that affect ones
  ability to work with others and support students
• Explore the variety of strategies that promote
  positive work relationships

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Professional and Ethical Practices
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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• Your partner teacher asks that you develop and
  teach a social studies lesson to a student. You
  ask the teacher for some information and
  guidance, but she says, Oh, it doesnt make a
  difference how you do it, but I know youll do a
  great job.
• What would you do?

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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• Go to the special education supervisor
  immediately
• Explain to the teacher that you feel you need
  help and training in order to develop lessons
  from scratch
• Give it your best shot
• Complain to other paraeducators that you do the
  teachers work

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Professional and Ethical Practices

• Professionalism is the conduct, aims or qualities
  that characterize a professional person
• Ethical behavior means that one conforms to the
  accepted or professional standards of conduct

Websters Dictionary
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Professional Practices

• Present yourself in a professional manner
• Appearance, attitude, work habits
• Understand the hierarchy of authority in your
  work setting
• Interact appropriately with staff and students
• Follow chain of command
• Ask questions

Adapted from Sprick, R., Garrison, M., Howard, L.
Para Pro Supporting the Instructional Process
Sopris West (2000)
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Professional Practices

• Contribute to positive community-school
  relationships
• Maintain confidentiality
• Be respectful to staff, students and parents

Adapted from Sprick, R., Garrison, M., Howard, L.
Para Pro Supporting the Instructional Process
Sopris West (2000)
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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• A parent of a student in your program asks for
  your opinion about the teaching skills of your
  partner teacher. She isnt happy with her childs
  progress and thinks the teacher is incompetent.
• What would you do?

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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• Tell the parent how you feel
• Share comments youve heard other teachers make
  about your partner teacher
• Agree with the parent to avoid an argument
• Refrain from giving your opinion

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Ethical Practices

• Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

Adapted from Supervising Paraeducators in
Educational Settings, Anna Lou Pickett Kent
Gerlach, Pro-Ed, 1997.
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Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

• Practice the standards approved by your district
  or agency
• Maintain Positive Relationships with
• Teachers
• The School
• Accept Responsibilities

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Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

• Relationship with the Teacher
• Recognize the teacher as the classroom supervisor
  and team leader
• Establish a positive relationship with all
  teachers
• Discuss concerns about classroom issues directly
  with teachers

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Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

• Relationship with the School
• Know school policies and procedures
• Represent the school district in a positive manner

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Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

• Accept Responsibilities
• Engage only in activities for which you are
  qualified or trained
• Accept responsibility for improving skills
• Support fellow paraeducators

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Code of Ethics for Paraeducators

• Maintain Confidentiality
• Follow chain of command
• Use people first language
• Refrain from engaging in discriminatory practices

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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• You have been assigned to work at a new school as
  a 11 paraeducator for a student who is included
  in several general education classes in the
  building.
• List some things you should do on your first day
  of work.

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WWYD (What Would You Do?)

• Find out
• Names of the teachers with whom Ill be working
• Do I have one main partner teacher
• Who is my direct supervisor
• Principals name
• Information I will need to know about the student
  academic, behavioral, medical, etc.
• Layout of the building
• Who do I go to if I have a problem
• Specific building policies, procedures

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Personal and Cultural Biases and the Educational
Setting
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Cross-Cultural Competence
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Cross-Cultural Competence

• The ability to feel and act in a respectful,
  comfortable way with others who come from
  different backgrounds be it different social,
  linguistic or cultural backgrounds

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Cross-Cultural Competence

• Is on-going because culture is dynamic. We meet
  different people everyday
• The process of cross-cultural competence is a
  life-long voyage

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CULTURE

• A way of perceiving, believing, evaluating, and
  behaving
• A framework that guides lifes practices
• Is learned, shared, and is always changing

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CULTURE

• Way of life of a group of people
• A shared world view
• Values and beliefs
• Roles and responsibilities
• Standard of behavior
• Preferences

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CULTURE

• Unique characteristics
• Specialized needs
• Implications for
• academic
• social
• emotional

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Interaction of Multiple Cultures

• Culture of the Family
• Culture of the Program or School System
• Culture of the Disability

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Interaction of Multiple Cultures

• Respect Family Cultures
• Learn from diversity
• Parents/siblings educate classmates

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Individual Learning Differences

• Teaching to all
• Learning styles
• Motivational styles
• Strengths and challenges of each student

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Individual Learning Differences

• Educators must
• Develop relationships with families.
• Have knowledge of individual students.
• Possess understanding of various disabilities.

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Individual Learning Differences

• Educators adapt and build
• Intellectual
• Physical
• Sensory
• Communication/emotional abilities

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CULTURE

• People First Language
• Language is power.
• Choose to use people first language.
• Why use people first language?

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Non-examples of People First Language

• Invalid
• Mongoloid
• Wheel-chair bound
• Deaf and Dumb
• Defective
• Afflicted

• Mute
• Victim
• Crippled
• Special Person
• Suffers from
• Stricken with

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Positive Examples of People First Language

• He/she has a congenital disability
• Accessible
• He/she has a cognitive disability

• Person with a disability
• People who have disabilities
• He/she uses a wheelchair

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General Guidelines for Talking about Disabilities

• Do not refer to disability unless relevant
• Use disability rather than handicapped

• People First Language
• Avoid the terms disabled, the blind, the
  epileptics, the retarded

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General Guidelines for Talking about Disabilities

• Avoid suffers from, a victim of, or afflicted
  with.

• Avoid normal or able-bodied when describing
  people without disabilities.

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Strategies for Building Positive Relationships
with Staff and Students
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Whats Your Learning Style?

• Visual
• Auditory
• Kinesthetic
• Lets find out!

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Whats Your Learning Style?

• Complete the self assessment labeled Handout 7

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Whats Your Learning Style?

• Visual Learnersmostly letter A
• Take detailed notes
• Tend to sit in the front
• Often close their eyes to visualize and remember
• Like to see what they are learning
• Benefit from illustrations
• How can I work with students who are visual
  learners?

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Whats Your Learning Style?

• Auditory Learnersmostly letter B
• Sit where they can hear but neednt pay attention
  to what is happening in front
• Hum or talk to themselves or others when bored
• Acquire knowledge by reading aloud
• Remember by verbalizing lessons to themselves
• How can I work with students who are
• auditory learners?

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Whats Your Learning Style?

• Kinestheticmostly letter C
• Need to be active and take frequent breaks
• Speak with their hands and gestures
• Difficulty recalling what was seen or heard
• Find reasons to tinker or move when bored
• Enjoy manipulating materials
• Sit where they can move around
• How can I work with students who are kinesthetic
  learners?

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What is the Learning Style of your Students?

• Write the name of a student in your
• classroom.
• Guess their learning style and write it.
• Think about one way you can teach to their
  learning style.

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?
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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Read each item of the survey titled What is my
  style and what is your style?
• Place a check next to your best choice for each
  item.
• Tally the number for each column at the bottom.
• We will discuss the results.

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Achiever
• Persuader
• Supporter
• Analyst

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Achiever
• High risk-taker, less people-oriented
• Like to be in control of situations and sometimes
  people
• Generally forceful and direct when working with
  colleagues

• Working with Achievers
• Be business like and direct
• Ask factual questions
• Propose logical and efficient plans, but let
  achievers have/share control over final solutions
• Anticipate objections and prepare to address them

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Persuader
• High risk-taking, more people oriented
• High spirited and social
• Love to inspire and be inspired
• Articulate and intense when working with
  colleagues

• Working with Persuaders
• Acknowledge their strengths, competence, humor
  and friendliness
• Present ideas in an enthusiastic, optimistic,
  persuasive manner
• Encourage ideas that are innovative
• Get plans in writing, it helps them stay focused

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Supporter
• Lower risk-taking, more people oriented
• High ideals and standards
• Love calm environments and hate conflict
• Need security and appreciation for your efforts

• Working with Supporters
• Be calm, casual, friendly
• Actively listen, reflect their feelings and
  concerns
• Appreciate their efforts
• Present ideas that are consistent with their
  values and high standards

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Analyst
• Lower risk taking, less people oriented
• Highly disciplined and persistent
• Love to reason and need time to think things
  through before moving into projects
• Accuracy and order are your trademarks

• Working with Analysts
• Present information in a logical step by step
  manner
• Pay close attention to details
• Appeal to logic, reason, order, and systematic
  approach to problem solving
• Do your homework expect to be challenged on your
  assumptions, ideas, procedures

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Whats Your Interpersonal Style?

• Choose a staff member you work with
• Write their name
• Given what you just heard, choose a strategy you
  can use when you work with them.

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Teamwork

• Consider
• The learning styles of both colleagues and
  students
• The working style of both colleagues and students

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Learner Outcomes

• Participants will
• List ethical practices required to support both
  students and colleagues in the work environment
• Describe types of biases that affect ones
  ability to work with others and support students
• Explore and variety of strategies that promote
  positive work relationships

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Bureau of Special Education Pennsylvania Training
and Technical Assistance Network
Edward G. Rendell
Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.
Governor

Secretary Diane Castelbuono, Deputy
Secretary Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education John J. Tommasini, Director Bureau of
Special Education
Contact Information Name of Consultant, Email
address www.pattan.net