Appreciate your Paras they will save your life!

As I sat in a classroom today I was reminded about the people who got me where I am today. I was reminded about the people who made me the teacher I was. The people who made it possible for me to be the best teacher I could be. And the people who made my students the best they could be. Paraprofessionals are the most undervalued and underappreciated. And they deserve our love!

Truth. We are not worthy of such wonderful people. End of story.

A huge thank you to the best paras there are! Thank you Mrs. M! Thank you Mrs. Cathy! Thank you Mrs. Tonya! Thank you Ms. Leigh! Thank you Ms. Amber! Thank you Ms. Williams!

Thank you for making me who I am today! I wouldn't be half the educator I am without you! And thank you for loving our kiddos with all your heart!

Our classrooms our tough. And when I say tough I mean utterly exhausting. Don't get me wrong teaching in itself is exhausting. But by golly teachers in autism classrooms and/or behavior support classrooms deserve a medal. There are no breaks. There is no duty free lunch. There is no planning time. There are no breathers. The goal is always self-sufficiency by May right?? But first you have to go through September, October, November, December, January, February, March, and April!! So through all of that, our paras pick up the slack. They potty train. They run breakfast and snack times. They run circle time so we can manage behaviors. They run small groups. They keep up with data and behavior plans. They get the kiddos manding and tacting. They play games and run PRT lessons. And above all else they take them to the cafeteria and to the playground!!

So now that we are all on the same page... we don't deserve them. They are fabulous. They do the jobs that most of the times we don't want to do or don't have time to do. They keep us on track. They support us. They support our kids (even on the toughest of days). They spend their own hard earned money (which is never enough) on our kiddos. They love our kids through it all. We don't deserve them... am I right??? So how do we show them how much we appreciate and respect them? Here are my Top 5.

My Top 5 Ways to Show Your Paras You Appreciate Them

1. Prepare Them

I've said this before and I will say it till I am blue in the face. And then I'll say it again. Train your staff! They need and want to know what is going on. Appreciate them by sharing your expectations so that they don't have to guess. Appreciate them by giving them a schedule, appreciate that their time is also valuable. They love your kiddos just as much if not more than you. They want to do what is best for "their kids" and to do that they need to know what to do and how to do it. Prepare them for the day, the week, the month, and the year. Don't you like to know what's going on in your life and day??? So do they!

2. Praise Them

Do you like your principal or supervisor to tell you that you're doing a great job? I do! My behavior is attention maintained. Please notice me :) Please tell me I'm doing well at my job :) And my supervisor knows this (because I haven't been shy about telling her haha) But your staff also wants to know they are doing well. They want to hear great job! They want feedback. We give feedback to our students for how they are performing so why not our staff? Let them know that you appreciate them!

3. Reward Them

This one can be simple or complex. Simple: bring them coffee and/or donuts randomly some mornings. This doesn't have to be often or even every week but show them you appreciate their hard work. Complex: Give them 30 minutes extra duty free lunch once a month for doing their job well (self-monitoring data sheets for staff!) Bring in a case of Dr. Pepper or Diet coke. Reinforce and strengthen their behaviors. Reinforcement works!

4. Protect Them

And by 'protect' I mean have their backs! They work hard for you and your kiddos. And often times they are the ones that other teachers or staff complain to. Back them up. Let staff know that if they have questions or concerns come to you. If there is an issue in an inclusion class go observe for yourself. If a parent is unhappy deal with it, don't make them. Let them know that if they are working hard for your kiddos you are working hard for them. It will make all the difference in the world if they know they are supported by you!

5. Love Them

Like I said earlier, they are the most underappreciated and undervalued members of your team. Every day tell them how much you appreciate all their hard work! Let them know that you couldn't do your job without them. Get to know them. Ask about their days and their lives (at appropriate times, of course). And love them. Even if your personalities don't mash. Or they get on your nerves (you can't like everyone). Or they talk about their personal lives too much. Let them know you love them.

Sounds simple right? It should. But sometimes not easy to do. We have stressful jobs and our kids take a lot of our energy and our brain power. But if you want your kids to have the best school experience appreciate those who make it all possible! If you want to have good days at school (even in the midst of the craziest of days) show them you appreciate them. Because bottom line they deserve the appreciation! And we don't deserve them!

Thank you to all the wonderful staff out there that have helped me along the way! I love you all! You have all had an impact on my life and I couldn't imagine my life without each and everyone of you along the way!

Now get out there and show your appreciation! Then come back here and tell me all about it!

~Kaylan~