Special Needs Paraeducator

Gilroy Unified School District•Gilroy, CA

About The Position

The Special Needs Paraeducator assists the teacher in achieving instructional objectives by working with individual students or small groups to help them reach the skill levels of the class. The role reinforces learning introduced by the teacher, supports students’ individual needs, and helps maintain a safe and supportive learning environment. Duties may include assisting students with special education transportation, adaptive technology, vocational education, community-based instruction, and activities such as Adaptive Physical Education.

Requirements

Knowledge of English usage, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.
Ability to perform moderately difficult clerical work.
Ability to give oral and written directions.
Ability to speak, read, and write in English.
Ability to perform basic math calculations.
Have 48 college units, an associate degree, or higher.

Responsibilities

Administer, score, and record achievement and diagnostic tests as recommended by the teacher.
Work with individual students or small groups to reinforce material and skills introduced by the teacher.
Help the teacher devise strategies for reinforcing learning based on students’ needs, interests, and abilities.
Operate and care for classroom instructional equipment and help students use assigned equipment and materials.
Distribute and collect workbooks, papers, and other instructional materials.
Guide independent study, enrichment work, and remedial work assigned by the teacher.
Supervise students during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips.
Assist with large-group activities, including drill work, reading aloud, and storytelling.
Read to students, listen to students read, and participate in other oral communication activities.
Assist students in the library or media center.
Check notebooks, correct papers, and supervise testing and make-up work as assigned.
Check and record student attendance.
Collect and record money.
Help students with clothing and assist with lunch, snack, clean-up, and toilet routines.
Alert the regular teacher to problems or special information about individual students.
Serve as a source of information and assistance to substitute teachers when the regular teacher is absent.
Maintain ethical conduct and confidentiality of student information.
Participate in assigned in-service training.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with people contacted while performing required duties.
Accompany and assist individual students or small groups in vocational education classes and ensure student safety.
Assist students on and off special education transportation.
Assist classroom teachers in facilitating the mainstreaming of special education students.
Perform duties under the direction of the school nurse relating to special education students.
Manage potentially assaultive behaviors.
Assist with adaptive technology or special equipment for students with special needs.
Accompany students in the community during community-based instruction.
May assist students in the swimming pool during Adaptive Physical Education.