2026-2027 Special Education Paraprofessional - Gentilly
About The Position
The Special Education Teaching Assistant (SPED TA) role is diverse and requires flexibility, courtesy, responsibility, collaboration, and excellent communication skills. SPED TAs will have a regular duty schedule and lunch break. Responsibilities vary by placement but include assisting Lead Teachers with classroom organization and vision, observing lessons, making copies, distributing materials, clarifying directions, and ensuring students properly restore materials. They will observe SPED students for differentiation needs and share reflections with the teacher. Weekly meetings with Lead Teachers and Instructional Strategists will discuss observations, tracking sheets, interactions, and concerns. SPED TAs will provide extra support to students, such as cool-down walks, build relationships, and use Behavior Trackers consistently. The role emphasizes meeting students at their level, building on strengths, and developing weaknesses. SPED TAs will encourage respectful talk, active listening, and turn-taking, acknowledge students' backgrounds, exhibit warmth and caring, model politeness and fairness, and actively supervise students. They will support student enthusiasm and problem-solving, facilitate active student engagement, and gather evidence of student understanding to inform instruction and remediation. SPED TAs will also assist students in assessing their own work and display professionalism and commitment to the Audubon Community by reflecting on practice, assisting with documentation and material preparation, collaborating with colleagues, participating in professional development, school activities, and community service. They will support students through difficult situations and fulfill organizational mandates.
Requirements
- High School Diploma required
- Experience working with children in a school or related setting
- Must be trained in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) or must be willing to attend the training
Nice To Haves
- Experience in and/or understanding of the public school system including charter schools is desirable
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in education or related field
- CDA
- Applied Behavior Analysis training
Responsibilities
- Communicate each morning with Lead Teacher's about daily needs/goals.
- Help Lead Teacher's clean/organize and carry out the vision for the classroom environment.
- Observe lessons, make copies, hand out materials, and clarify directions if needed, ensure students properly restore materials.
- Observe SPED students for possible needs for more differentiation and share reflection with the teacher.
- Meet weekly at a set time with Lead Teachers and Instructional Strategists to discuss observations, tracking sheets, positive interactions and concerns.
- Sit near student/students who need extra support.
- Offer help to SPED students, such as taking a cool down walk.
- Build relationships with SPED student/ students and encourage them to grow.
- Use Behavior Trackers consistently when provided by Lead Teacher, Social Worker, SPED Coordinator, or SPED Teacher.
- Every person on a SPED child's teaching team should always strive to meet the child at their level, build on their strengths while developing their weaknesses.
- Create an Environment of Respect and Rapport
- Encourage and model respectful talk, active listening and turn taking
- Acknowledge students’ backgrounds and lives outside of the classroom
- Exhibit body language indicative of warmth and caring to students
- Encourage and model politeness and support for all community members
- Encourage and model fairness in all interactions
- Actively assist in the supervision of students
- Utilize Effective Instructional Strategies
- Encourage and support student enthusiasm, interest, thinking, problem solving, etc.
- Facilitate an environment where students are actively “working” rather than watching while their teacher “works”
- Gathers and uses evidence of student understanding to assist the lead classroom teacher by using the information to inform instruction and remediation
- Assists students in assessing their own work against established criteria
- Display Professionalism and Commitment to the Audubon Community
- Reflect and refine personal practice based on feedback from others and self-reflection
- Assist the lead classroom teacher in maintaining accurate documentation of student progress
- Assist the lead classroom teacher in preparing materials as necessary
- Regularly work with colleagues to share and plan for student success
- Participate in professional development opportunities that emphasize improving practice
- Regularly participate in or initiate school activities which further the mission of the school
- Regularly participate in or initiate activities which emphasize community service
- Supports students even in the face of difficult situations or conflicting policies
- Fulfills organizational mandates regarding policies and procedures
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
