Competency Area D-Planning and SchedulingLearning Support :

An important component of directing the work of paraprofessionals is the ability of teachers to take the time needed to plan with and for paraprofessionals. Creating schedules that include the paraprofessional and his or her responsibilities is critical to effectively run classrooms. Sometimes teachers believe that the paraprofessional will just "fill in where needed" but that is not necessarily true and certainly not the way to make the best use each of the adults in the classroom. By taking time to consider the needs of students, strengths and interests of paraprofessionals, and schedule requirements; the teacher will find that the time needed to do this will have substantial impact.
In addition to creating the schedules and plans, teachers must also explain how the plans work. Describing daily routines, daily and weekly schedules, and lesson plan formats us very important. Teachers should not assume paraprofessionals know how classrooms work but instead should take the time to orient paraprofessionals to the classroom and students.

Competencies

1. Establishes goals and detailed plans around which activities of paraprofessionals are coordinated.
2. Organizes and manages schedules that allow for cooperation, planning and information sharing.
3. Considers the strengths, interests and needs of paraprofessionals when managing schedules.
4. Manages smooth transition brought on by changes to the daily schedules of paraprofessionals.
5. Organizes and provides materials and resources that are necessary to carry out the objectives of each paraprofessional's activity.