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Roles of Educational Assistants
Some of the roles of Educational Assistants:
1. Assisting the teacher in classroom and behavioural management.
2. Helping with students' work like sometimes scribe, modify work, check students'
work etc.
3. EAs help the teacher in their planning with the behavioural kids (to create an IEP etc.). If asked they can be part ofthe IPRC meetings as sometimes they have been working with the student and know about the kid more than the class teacher.
4. Instructional role in a small group setting with students with special needs.
5. Help supervise a large group when teacher works with a smaller group in a class.
6. Maintain a record of the student behaviour, achievements and provide feedback to the teacher.
Here is one of my postings from the discussion board on Educational Assistants..
I do not have much experience working with an educational assistant but I have seen teachers (especially SERT) working with educational assistants. I had some experience working with educational assistants while I was supplying in schools. I also had an opportunity to talk to an educational assistant in my school. Educational assistants are an important and integral part of the classroom where they are assigned. I have seen educational assistants to work very closely with children and helping them in their work patiently and helping the teacher in classroom management. I often see one of our EAs at my school taking a Kindergarten child to a walk in the school during his 'tough time'. I see the child talking and laughing with the EA during the walk. I can see how the child is very comfortable with the EA. When I talked to Ms. Lindsey (one of the EAs at school) today, she told me about her role in
the classroom. They are supervised by the Principal of the school and they have performance appraisals every three years done by the Principal. In YRDSB they are part of the union CUPE1734 division. The educational assistant not only helps the students in the classroom to help with their work like sometimes scribe, modify work, check students' work etc. but also they help the teacher in their planning with the behavioral kids (to create an IEP etc.). If asked they can be part of the IPRC meetings as sometimes they have been working with the student and know about the kid more than the class teacher.
I would like an EA to help the students with behavioural problems so that I can continue to help my other students in the classroom. There could be a cool down room which could be used by the EA to calm the student sown, talk to him and bring him back to the class and follow the next strategies and remain with the child so that the teacher can continue helping other students. I would like my EA to be an integral part of my classroom and help me in my planning for the student with the exceptionality. I would like to have a daily 10 minute meeting with her to discuss the child with her/him and plan our next steps. The EA should be as much aware about the child's background and issues as a teacher should be. It is important for the teacher to have a clear communication with the EA in the class. The EA is another teacher in the classroom and students should view her the same way and show her the same respect. I would like an EA to not just monitor one student but help all the students if asked, making the classroom a more inclusive one. In behavioural situations, an EA can intervene for a regular student under the Safe School Act. EAs are not only a great help to the school but they bring a wealth of experience and knowledge with them.