SupervisionLearning Support :

In Minnesota, "supervision" is referred to as "directing the work" of paraprofessionals since teachers do not hire, terminate and are not responsible for performance evaluations. These functions are the responsibility of administrators. However, teachers are critical in directing the work of paraprofessionals and their work with students. Increasingly legislation has strengthened the role of teachers in providing this type of "instructional supervision" to paraprofessionals to ensure paraprofessionals are assisting and supporting the teacher in facilitating student learning.
Directing the work of paraprofessionals is an important component of an effectively run classroom. As the role of teachers has changed and policy and practices have evolved, the role of paraprofessionals has also changed. Paraprofessionals were once responsible for preparing materials, monitoring the lunchroom and playground, and taking attendance. Now, paraprofessionals are members of instructional teams assisting teachers in ensuring students are receiving the support they need to learn.

This section of the web site provides resources regarding (a) legislation addressing the role and preparation of paraprofessionals, (b) the importance of "supervision," and (c) Minnesota's research based competencies for teachers who direct the work of paraprofessionals. These competencies fall into seven competency areas around which this site is organized. They are:

• Communicating with Paraprofessionals
• Managing the Work of Paraprofessionals
• Modeling for Paraprofessionals
• Planning and Scheduling for Paraprofessionals
• Providing Instructional Support for Paraprofessionals
• Public Relations
• Training for Paraprofessionals