What does a Para Educator do?

Paraeducators' primary role is to provide students with extra guidance and support outside or inside the classroom. They are also called paraprofessional educators or teaching assistants who are expected to support teachers. In small group activities, they take the lead permitting teachers to help their students in many ways. The necessary skills required include organization, intellectual curiosity, and being calm. They should also be creative, a team player, and knowledgeable. A bachelor's degree in education is also a necessity for this job.
Para educator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real para educator resumes:
- Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
- Work daily with a small group of 4th grade students in language arts in the morning and mathematics in the afternoon.
- Plan and implement lesson and in a k-5 school.
- Assist teacher in every aspect of curriculum, CPR certify.
- Certify in CPR, first aide, used when necessary.
- Certify through CPI to be able to physically restrain when necessary.
- Train to use a large variety of strategies and systems including ABA, TEACCH and PECS.
- Provide physical, therapeutic interventions, including restraint of students, when need, using CPI approve techniques.
- Expand and instruct an intervention math curriculum.
- Initiate various mathematics classes intermittently throughout the semester.
- Administer general academic instruction to lower k-5 elementary students.
- Provide customized math and science tutoring sessions for students requiring additional instruction.
- Organize and implement yearly hearing and vision checks for kindergarten and elementary grade students.
- Create curriculum and adhere to federally mandate individualized education program (IEP) for special needs children.
- Assist in kindergarten classroom by monitoring students, distributing educational materials, making copies, and lunchroom/recess student monitoring.
Para educator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Para Educators are proficient in Behavioral Issues, Student Performance, and IEP. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Interpersonal skills, and Patience.
We break down the percentage of Para Educators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Behavioral Issues, 10%
Supervised and implemented lesson plans one-on-one for suspended student with mental health and behavioral issues.
- Student Performance, 8%
Worked collaboratively in a professional learning community to evaluate student performance, design interventions and enrichment, and implement designed interventions.
- IEP, 8%
Implement direct academic instruction, classroom accommodations and curriculum modifications as outlined in students' Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).
- Math, 7%
Implemented multiple curricula including Math incorporating Georgia Milestones Common Core State Standards into lesson planning with instructional staff.
- Kindergarten, 7%
Helped enroll new students and assisted families in completing the necessary paperwork including immunization information, as well as Kindergarten registration.
- School Administration, 6%
Worked with program coordinator, and discussed student family issues with appropriate school administration.
Most para educators use their skills in "behavioral issues," "student performance," and "iep" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential para educator responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a para educator to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what para educators do because "teacher assistants need to be clear and concise in discussing student progress with teachers and parents." Additionally, a para educator resume shows how para educators use communication skills: "aided in self-contained classroom as well as general education classrooms - daily communications with parents - access daily progress"
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform para educator duties is interpersonal skills. Para educators responsibilities require that "teacher assistants must be able to develop relationships with a variety of people, including teachers, students, parents, and administrators." Para educators also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "help students with emotional behavioral issues to maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and/or adults.5. "
Patience. para educators are also known for patience, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to para educator responsibilities, because "working with students of different abilities and backgrounds may be difficult." A para educator resume example shows how patience is used in the workplace: "create a classroom environment that presents students with challenging materials, high expectations and the guidance and patience to achieve them. "
Resourcefulness. para educator responsibilities often require "resourcefulness." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "teacher assistants must find ways to explain information to students who have different learning styles." This resume example shows what para educators do with resourcefulness on a typical day: "showed resourcefulness and effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. "
The three companies that hire the most para educators are:
- Marysville Joint Unified School District15 para educators jobs
- Orange County High School14 para educators jobs
- Quincy Public Schools11 para educators jobs
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Para educator vs. Long term substitute teacher
A long term substitute teacher is responsible for covering the duties of a teacher who is away for a long time. Long term substitute teachers proceed with the lesson plan outlines and the regular teacher's curriculum depending on their expertise. They monitor and assess the students' behavior, create an engaging learning environment, evaluate the students' learning progress by conducting a series of tests, create reports of the students' performance, and help students struggling with the subject.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a para educator are more likely to require skills like "behavioral issues," "cpr," "mathematics," and "direct supervision." On the other hand, a job as a long term substitute teacher requires skills like "long-term substitute," "public schools," "professional development," and "learning styles." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Long term substitute teachers earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $44,729. On the other hand, para educators are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $30,060.On average, long term substitute teachers reach higher levels of education than para educators. Long term substitute teachers are 11.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Para educator vs. Middle school teacher
A middle school teacher is responsible for teaching students in grades six to eight, following a curriculum that fits on their grade levels to prepare them for the next advancement. Middle school teachers strategize effective lesson plans, engaging activities, and assessments to test the students' knowledge and understanding of the learning materials. They also observe the personal and developmental behaviors of the students by conducting group activities and performance. A middle school teacher identifies the students' strengths and weaknesses, adjusting the learning approach as needed to cater to each student's needs and difficulties.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that para educator responsibilities requires skills like "behavioral issues," "kindergarten," "cpr," and "mathematics." But a middle school teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "professional development," "curriculum development," "student achievement," and "english language."
Middle school teachers may earn a higher salary than para educators, but middle school teachers earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $53,168. On the other hand, para educators receive higher pay in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $30,060.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Middle school teachers tend to reach higher levels of education than para educators. In fact, they're 15.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Para educator vs. High school teacher
High school teachers play an essential role in preparing students for college or life following graduation. They typically teach students from the ninth to 12th grades. They plan and develop lessons, evaluate their students' strengths, weaknesses and abilities, and grade their exams and assignments. Other duties include working with individual students to challenge and improve their abilities, developing and implementing classroom rules, and overseeing students outside the classroom. Some of them also take on additional tasks, such as advising academic clubs or coaching sports teams.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, para educators are more likely to have skills like "behavioral issues," "kindergarten," "cpr," and "direct supervision." But a high school teacher is more likely to have skills like "professional development," "culinary," "curriculum development," and "student achievement."
High school teachers earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $51,028. Para educators earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $30,060.Most high school teachers achieve a higher degree level compared to para educators. For example, they're 12.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Para educator vs. Toddler teacher
A toddler teacher is responsible for teaching young learners by administering physical care and monitoring their social and mental development. Toddler teachers prepare fun and engaging activities for the children and evaluate their behaviors and assess how they interact with the environment. They create lesson plans that adhere to the learners' appropriate curriculum, such as teaching them how to speak and count. A toddler teacher must comply with the safety guidelines to keep and promote a safe and healthy environment for everyone.
Types of para educator
Updated January 8, 2025