Pat Hensley has 26 years of teaching experience and takes a moment to share some of the things that she has done to create a positive working relationship with the paraprofessionals in her classroom. She goes over many practical tips on how to work together as a team. She explains her feelings towards the role of paraprofesionals:
Sometimes teachers see paraprofessionals as a second class citizen and this is totally wrong. I treated my paraprofessionals as fellow colleagues in the workplace and insisted that other teachers and students treat them the same way.
She also mentions the importance of communication, supporting each other, and giving and receiving feedback. Stop by her site to tell her thanks or offer your own ideas on teachers and paraprofessionals working together.
Success with Paraprofessionals
If you are looking for additional ideas on building better teacher/paraprofessional relationships, you may also want to take a look at A Training Program: To Prepare Teachers to Supervise and Work Effectively With Paraeducator Personnel.