You don’t need a fancy degree to be a "teacher"…

For the last two days I had the great honor of leading professional development in McPherson, Kansas for their summer para academy. Having started as a para myself, there is no group I love to be with more than paraeducators.

Paras are without a doubt the hardest worked and often most undervalued people in our system. They work tirelessly every day to support some of our toughest students and yet their voices are seldom heard, their ideas often dismissed, and their knowledge overlooked.

This past spring, a teacher asked with genuine sincerity if it was just her, or if it bothered other teachers, too, when paras wore shirts that said “teacher.” She went on to explain that they are, indeed, not. They didn’t go through years of schooling to obtain that title or stay up late at night to prep lesson plans. She truly felt insulted.

This past spring, a teacher asked me, with genuine sincerity, “Is it just me, or does it bother you when paras wear shirts that say ‘teacher’?” She said they didn’t go through years of schooling, didn’t get a degree or certification, and didn’t stay up late every night prepping lesson plans. She felt insulted when they called themselves a “teacher.”

As I took a few minutes to absorb this person’s perspective, I struggled to not feel enraged. You see, that is exactly why paras feel “less-than”. That is a key reason why the turnover in this role is so high– because for some unknown reason, there are people in this industry who fail to give them the respect they deserve.

Paras are absolutely TEACHERS, too. They teach skills to students ALL. DAY. LONG. Quite frankly, they teach a wider variety of skills than our teachers do. They teach independence, life skills, social skills, conversation skills, motor skills, coping skills, academic skills, and grit.

Paras teach some of the hardest to teach kids out there and often teach the same skill over and over again with little progress. But they never give up. They keep trying. They find new ways.

As I reflect on the time in my classroom as a special education teacher, there is no doubt that my success was only because of the amazing paraeducators I had. They were truly an extension of me. There is no way I could have given my ten students all that they needed. But because of them, my students not only were able to learn, but truly thrive.

I believe if every general education teacher that has ever had a struggling student in their classroom would reflect, they, too, would realize they couldn’t have survived without the help of a para. They wouldn’t have been able to meet the needs of all their students, finished a lesson, or taken a bathroom break without the support of a paraeducator somewhere along the way.

I had the pleasure of meeting a lady during para academy who was newly retired from her life’s work and beginning her first year as a para educator. The enthusiasm, love, and genuine excitement for the job that she had during the training truly touched my heart. She doesn’t have years of experience, or a fancy degree, but she has a love for helping others and an attitude that all kids deserve to have someone who believes in them. Those two things alone will make her not only one of the best paraeducators out there, but also an extraordinary “teacher.”

To all the amazing paraeducators out there,

Thank you! You are truly the glue that hold our schools together and without you, we would never be able to meet the diverse needs of learners across our system. Know that you are valued, you are appreciated, and you are absolutely TEACHERS – so don’t ever let anyone make you feel less than that!

With tremendous love and gratitude,

A teacher, who without you, wouldn’t be