“I felt seen today.”
Those four words jumped off the page as I reviewed my feedback from a recent professional development session with paraeducators.
The participant continued, “I genuinely found the case studies and tools helpful because they were catered specifically to paraeducators.”
Wow. Comment after comment emphasized the profound impact that this personalized PD had on this team of educators. Instead of being rolled into the school-wide PD for teachers, or ignored altogether, the school site I was working with saw the value in providing the specialized content and support for a vital group of professionals - the paraeducators.
I’ve spent years supporting educators in implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and this reflection was a powerful reminder of something we don’t talk about enough: Paraeducators deserve professional learning that recognizes their unique roles, responsibilities, and contributions to student success.
During our sessions, these dedicated educators explored how to recognize learning barriers, support student independence and collaborate more intentionally with teachers. They shared real classroom challenges they were facing, reflected on their practices and identified strategies they could implement meaningfully in their learning environments.
Another participant noted: “As a paraeducator, I want to support student learning goals, but with so much to complete, we often spend most of our time just finishing tasks rather than mastering the content.”
Yup. That gets to the heart of why specialized professional learning matters. Paraeducators aren't just helping students complete assignments. They have an incredible opportunity to help students access learning, develop strategies to support their own learning, and become increasingly independent.
But are we giving them the professional learning they need to do that effectively?
Teachers and paraeducators share a common commitment to student success, but their responsibilities are not interchangeable. Teachers are responsible for establishing goals and designing instruction. Paraeducators play a critical role in supporting students to access and engage in learning, fostering independence, observing student responses, and sharing insights with teachers to inform instructional decisions.
Consider a typical UDL professional learning experience for teachers. The session might focus on redesigning a lesson by anticipating barriers, designing flexible learning experiences, and creating multiple pathways for students to demonstrate understanding. The paraeducator may be left wondering, “Where do I fit in?”
Instead of designing a lesson, a paraeducator’s role might require them to:
The underlying principles are the same, but the application looks different. Paraeducators don’t need less PD or the same PD as teachers. Instead, they need professional learning designed for their specific role.
One of the most powerful shifts a paraeducator can experience is moving from asking “How do I get this student to listen to me?” to “What might be getting in the way of them listening to me?” The UDL framework helps paraeducators learn to recognize variability and identify barriers. Professional learning can help paraeducators recognize that behaviors may signal an underlying barrier they can address proactively.
Present a familiar classroom scenario, such as a student putting their head down during independent work. Invite paraeducators to consider why their head might be down by brainstorming possible barriers and identifying one supportive response they could try.
The goal is to develop curiosity and instructional problem-solving rather than immediately reacting to behavior.
Paraeducators are often asked to provide individualized support, but they also need opportunities to recognize how to gradually reduce that support over time. Effective scaffolding increases access to core content instruction while maintaining high expectations. It might involve chunking directions, providing visual support, or modeling a strategy. The key is knowing when to step back and allow students to take the reins and choose the tools that support their learning.
Professional learning should help paraeducators explore the line between providing support that builds independence and confidence vs. providing support that creates dependence.
Have paraeducators examine two responses to a student struggling with an assignment.
Discuss which response provides access while preserving the student's opportunity to think.
The goal isn't simply task completion. It's developing learners who can use strategies, make decisions, and advocate for themselves.
Strong teacher-paraeducator partnerships don’t happen on their own. They require shared expectations, clear communication, and opportunities to collaborate. Paraeducators have a unique perspective because they get to see student learning up close. They have the opportunity to notice which supports help, where students experience barriers, and when students start to become more independent. These observations are valuable when they are welcomed and communicated clearly. Instead of saying “This student wasn’t focused today,” a paraeducator might share “She started independently after giving her a visual reminder.” This small shift from opinion to objective observation provides teachers with actionable information to improve instruction.
During my recent training, one paraeducator noted a desire for deeper collaboration. “I think it would be useful for the teachers to learn how to collaborate with us more often and be open to listening to our feedback.”
Practice transforming general statements about student behavior into specific observations. Then discuss how those observations could help the instructional team decide whether to continue, adjust, or fade a support.
Collaboration becomes more meaningful when everyone has something concrete to contribute.
Paraeducators need opportunities to connect new learning directly to their learning environment and the situations they encounter every day. Rather than relying on presentations, educational theory, or strategies designed for teachers, professional learning should include realistic classroom scenarios, modeling, reflection, and ready-to-use strategies that paraeducators can apply immediately.
For example, consider the value of every paraeducator in your school using a simple strategy called "Prompt Before Providing." When a student asks for help, rather than immediately explaining what to do, a paraeducator might ask, "What's one thing you could try first?" or "Is there a resource you could use to get started?" If the student is still unsure, they might say, "Let's look at the directions together. What do you notice?" or "I'll help you with the first one, and then you can try the next one."
This small shift helps students develop strategies to approach learning more independently rather than becoming reliant on adult support. The goal is to help paraeducators recognize everyday opportunities to increase access, engagement, and independence while maintaining high expectations for all learners.
Based on our work with paraeducators, we have developed a self-paced course that does just this.
Rather than relying exclusively on presentations or educational theory, this paraeducator-focused professional learning includes classroom scenarios, modeling, reflection, and ready-to-use tools.
Some of these high-leverage tools include:
Collaboration prompts that strengthen communication with teachers.
Paraeducators are more than extra hands in a classroom. They are instructional partners whose daily interactions can impact how students access learning, build confidence and develop independence. When we provide professional learning that helps paraeducators make more intentional decisions and communicate more effectively, we are designing more inclusive classrooms for all learners.
The question isn’t whether paraeducators should participate in professional learning, it’s whether we are developing experiences that help them thrive while feeling seen, valued and equipped to make a difference.
Novak Education's new course, Paraeducators as Instructional Partners: A UDL Approach, is designed specifically for paraeducators. Through practical strategies, real-world classroom examples, and ready-to-use tools, participants learn to recognize learning barriers, increase access while building student independence, and collaborate effectively with teachers. Or bring a live workshop for paraeducators to your team.