Teacher's Aide

Hours: 208 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced
Retail Price: $3,674.00

Course Overview:

This comprehensive program is designed for individuals aspiring to become effective instructional paraprofessionals, teacher's aides, and for current educators seeking to enhance their classroom strategies. The curriculum provides the essential foundational skills for supporting students and teachers, along with advanced modules in teaching methodology, understanding diverse learners, and the fundamentals of instructional design. This course fully prepares students for the ETS ParaPro Assessment and a successful career in education.

Students will be prepared to take the ETS ParaPro Assessment upon completion of this course.

Testimonial

"I would like to say that using ProTrain to do my teacher’s aide course was the best decision I ever made."

Bavina Butler

Course Outline:

Instructional Paraprofessional Curriculum:

Lesson 1: What is a Paraprofessional?

In this lesson, you will learn about the role of the paraprofessional in education. The nature of the work is explored, along with the history of paraprofessionals in the classroom.

Lesson 2: Communicating in the Classroom

This lesson is about collaborating in education. Topics will include working under supervision and working within a larger team. The educational team consists of more than just the paraprofessional and the supervising teacher. This lesson identifies those other members of the team and how they can be involved in collaboration for more effective outcomes.

Lesson 3: Inclusive Education

Lesson 3 will cover the meaning of inclusive education in a larger arena that includes special education. You will explore the facets of special education and how to create an inclusive environment were students of all abilities are supported.

Lesson 4: Effective Instruction

In this lesson, you will learn strategies for providing and assisting with effective instruction. This includes presuming competence in our most vulnerable students and supporting students with cognitive disabilities. You will also learn about how to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of instruction.

Lesson 5: Social and Behavioral Supports

In this lesson, we will explore the ways to support students emotionally and socially. Not all supports for students are academic. Some students will need support to become independent workers and thinkers.

Lesson 6: Classroom Management

This lesson focuses on ways to promote effective behavior with classroom management. This includes how rules are enforced, consequences for inappropriate behaviors, ways to recognize appropriate behaviors, and time management in the classroom.

Lesson 7: Laws and Ethics

Working with children is a highly regulated profession and so there are a lot of laws, ethics, and professional best practices that must be followed in the classroom. This lesson will focus on those federal, state, and local laws that may affect paraprofessionals.

Lesson 8: Self-Care

This final lesson is about exploring ways and tools for self-care. It is impossible to continue to care for others when you are overwhelmed or fatigued. This lesson will provide some tools for being mentally prepared for helping others every day.

Child Development Curriculum:

Lesson 1: What is a Paraprofessional?

In this lesson, you will learn about the role of the paraprofessional in education. The nature of the work is explored, along with the history of paraprofessionals in the classroom.

Lesson 2: Communicating in the Classroom

This lesson is about collaborating in education. Topics will include working under supervision and working within a larger team. The educational team consists of more than just the paraprofessional and the supervising teacher. This lesson identifies those other members of the team and how they can be involved in collaboration for more effective outcomes.

Lesson 3: Inclusive Education

Lesson 3 will cover the meaning of inclusive education in a larger arena that includes special education. You will explore the facets of special education and how to create an inclusive environment were students of all abilities are supported.

Lesson 4: Effective Instruction

In this lesson, you will learn strategies for providing and assisting with effective instruction. This includes presuming competence in our most vulnerable students and supporting students with cognitive disabilities. You will also learn about how to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of instruction.

Lesson 5: Social and Behavioral Supports

In this lesson, we will explore the ways to support students emotionally and socially. Not all supports for students are academic. Some students will need support to become independent workers and thinkers.

Lesson 6: Classroom Management

This lesson focuses on ways to promote effective behavior with classroom management. This includes how rules are enforced, consequences for inappropriate behaviors, ways to recognize appropriate behaviors, and time management in the classroom.

Lesson 7: Laws and Ethics

Working with children is a highly regulated profession and so there are a lot of laws, ethics, and professional best practices that must be followed in the classroom. This lesson will focus on those federal, state, and local laws that may affect paraprofessionals.

Lesson 8: Self-Care

This final lesson is about exploring ways and tools for self-care. It is impossible to continue to care for others when you are overwhelmed or fatigued. This lesson will provide some tools for being mentally prepared for helping others every day.

Teaching Math Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Building a Thinking Classroom

This lesson will introduce you to the concepts, issues, and practices that are foundational to building a thinking classroom. You will also learn about the importance of highly engaging tasks that encourage students to think deeply about the class material.

Lesson 2: Forming Collaborative Groups in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn the fundamentals and importance of placing students in randomized groups, and the challenges associated with this task.

Lesson 3: Layout and Furniture Arrangement in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of the physical layout for building a thinking classroom. You will also learn the most effective places for students to work.

Lesson 4:  Answering Questions in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will discover the best ways to answer student questions while still encouraging thinking and learning. You will learn the different types of questions that students tend to ask, and how to handle questions that discourage thinking.

Lesson 5: Tasks and Homework in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn about how tasks are given in a thinking classroom. You will also learn about the importance of "rebranding" homework.

Lesson 6: Student Autonomy in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of student autonomy in a thinking classroom. You will also learn how to provide this autonomy in a productive and structured way.

Lesson 7: Hints, Extensions, and Consolidation in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn the best practices for giving hints to students to encourage thinking. You will also learn the concept of increasing the challenge level for students by using extensions and the importance of consolidating a lesson.

Lesson 8: Taking Notes in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn how to encourage students to take meaningful notes that encourage thinking and learning. You will also learn about the most effective graphic organizers that assist students in meaningful note-taking.

Lesson 9: Evaluation in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn the most effective techniques to evaluate students in a thinking classroom. You will also learn about key competencies for students.

Lesson 10: Formative Assessment and Grading in a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will learn best practices for formative assessment and grading in a thinking classroom.

Lesson 11: Pulling the 14 Practices Together to Build a Thinking Classroom

In this lesson, you will pull all that you have learned together to build a thinking classroom.

Teaching Reading Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Getting Started

In this lesson we are going to set the stage for the course by realizing that there are many scientific claims to being the best way to teach Reading but when it comes down to it, the best way is what works for us and for our students. Throughout the course we will be exploring different ways to improve our teaching, but these will be a new set of tools that you can pick and choose from as you are teaching.

Lesson 2: Bonding and Sharing

In this lesson we will explore ways we can bond with our students and share with them our reading lives. We will look at ways we can learn more about our students and their reading habits while sharing our stories and reading habits with them. This will provide a way for our students to see us as real people and help them to develop trust in us.

Lesson 3: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

In this lesson we are going to introduce the Optimal Learning Model for teaching reading. The goal of this model is to move our students from dependence on us to being independent learners. We will see how what we have discussed so far will help us to create an environment conducive to learning with this model.

Lesson 4: Getting Ready

Working with your students to create a classroom library is a good way to get the excited about reading. Helping them to pick books that are appropriate for them will help them to succeed and improve at reading. In this lesson we will explore guidelines for creating a classroom library and for helping our students choose books to read. We'll also look at how to help students become independent readers and work on skills for partnered reading.

Lesson 5: Assessing Reading

In this lesson we are going to take a look at including reading assessment as a part of our teaching process. We are going to look at performing reading conferences regularly with students. Even when we have to give students standardized tests we can prepare students by asking them questions about their reading that they will encounter on the exam.

Lesson 6: Teaching Comprehension

In this lesson we are going to explore techniques for helping our students improve their reading comprehension. We will see that it is important to teach comprehension as a part of the process of teaching students how to read and that it should be included with all reading activities.

Lesson 7: Shared Reading

In this lesson we are going explore shared reading as a way to teach students to read and to improve reading comprehension. We will see how reading allowed can be used with various kinds of texts and at all grade levels.

Lesson 8: Guided Reading

In this lesson we are going to explore guided reading. In guided reading we move the students closer to being independent readers. We'll see how guided reading differs from shared reading and look at ways we can implement it in our classrooms.

Lesson 9: Making the Most of Your Time

In this lesson we look at ways we can make the most of our time in the classroom and out of the classroom. We will look at ways to give our students more time with reading in the classroom. We will remain effective teachers if we make time for our own interests and for professional development. We'll look at ways we can keep our teaching skills sharp.

Lesson 10: Putting it All Together

In this lesson we are going to look back at what we have learned in this course and create an artifact for our portfolios.

Teaching Writing Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Writing Rope

This lesson is an introduction to the framework of this text and course. In this lesson, you will learn how the skills of writing all intertwine to form the writing rope, an integral set of skills necessary for effective writing.

Lesson 2: Effective Writing Instruction

This lesson will teach you the research behind effective writing instruction. You will learn about the seven teaching principles and how to gradually increase the responsibility of the student writer.

Lesson 3: Transcription Skills

Transcription skills are the early writing skills of spelling and letter formation. In this lesson, you will learn how to teach these foundational writing skills.

Lesson 4: The Craft of Writing

Lesson Four teaches about task, audience, and purpose. You will learn how to teach these concepts so students understand the connection between these and the choices they make in writing.

Lesson 5: Stages of the Writing Process

This lesson focuses on the four steps in the writing process. It is critical that students learn and follow these steps to be successful in writing.

Lesson 6: Syntax and Sentence Skills

This lesson, about syntax and sentence skills, will cover how to teach students to compose sentences into paragraphs and longer writing passages.

Lesson 7: Text Structure

Moving on from sentence skills, this lesson teaches paragraph skills as the building blocks of longer writing; paragraph structure and parts are essential to effective writing.

Lesson 8: The Three Types of Writing

In this lesson, you will learn about the three genres of writing and how to teach the three writing types that students are required to complete.

Lesson 9: Summary Writing

Research has widely shown that the skill of writing summaries is critical to both writing and reading comprehension. In this lesson, you will learn how to teach this critical skill.

Lesson 10: Writing from Text Sources

In this lesson, you will learn instructional strategies to help students respond to narrative texts. This is a critical skill as students progress from beginning to advanced writers.

Lesson 11: Putting it All Together

This final lesson serves as a review of the techniques and strategies you've learned in this course. You will put it all together into a structured writing program.

Learning Styles in the Classroom Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Anthony Gregorc

In this lesson, you will learn about the work of Anthony Gregorc and his research on learning styles. You will understand how personality differences influence communication and discover how to navigate these differences to foster better interactions and understanding between individuals.

Lesson 2: Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model

This lesson focuses on the work of Dunn and Dunn, exploring how various stimuli influence learning and the ways you can adapt the school environment to meet diverse needs. You will learn how to identify these critical factors and apply strategies to create an engaging and supportive learning atmosphere for students.

Lesson 3: Howard Gardner

This lesson discusses the work of Howard Gardner and his Multiple Intelligences theory, which highlights individual talents and aptitudes. You will learn how to recognize different types of intelligence and apply this understanding to create learning experiences that cater to the unique strengths of each student, fostering their growth and potential.

Lesson 4: Neil Fleming and the VARK Learning Styles Model

This lesson highlights the work of Neil D. Fleming and his development of the VARK questionnaire, designed to assess an individual’s preferred methods for receiving information and delivering communication. You will learn how to identify these preferences and apply them to create more effective and personalized instructional and communication strategies.

Lesson 5: Assessing Learning Styles

This lesson focuses on using your knowledge of learning styles to create individualized learning experiences. You will explore methods to align teaching strategies with learners' preferences, ensuring their needs are met in a meaningful way. By understanding how to adapt instruction, you will enhance the overall effectiveness of your educational approach.

Lesson 6: The Yes I Can! Model of Organizing Teaching Within These Learning Styles

This lesson demonstrates how research on learning styles was integrated into an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) system called The Yes I Can! program. You will learn how the system connects research findings to practical applications, empowering you to support learners with customized plans that address their individual needs and promote success.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Getting Started

When we say someone is smart we typically mean that they have strengths in the traditional intelligences: verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical. When we see star athletes who can barely string together an intelligent sentence we usually don't associate the word 'smart' with them. When we realize that some of the people who have skills we admire barely made it through school we begin to question how they got where they are.

In this lesson we will introduce you to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and ways you can use this knowledge to better reach your students.

Lesson 2: Word and Music Smart

In this lesson we start our exploration of the multiple intelligences with word and music smart. With word smart we are dealing communicating whether it is reading, writing, listening or talking. A student who is music smart may enjoy listening to music, creating music or singing. We will explore the characteristics of each of these intelligences and how your students can use these intelligences to help themselves improve their intelligences skills in other areas as well. We will also show how these intelligences can work together or with the other intelligences.

Lesson 3: Logic and Picture Smart

In this lesson we continue our exploration of the intelligences with an introduction to logic smart and picture smart. The logic smart relates to problem-solving and picture smart relates to visualizing things. It's interesting that in Algebra we learned to create graphs in order to solve some types of problems. How many other ways can we use one intelligence to help with another?

Lesson 4: Body and People Smart

In this lesson we will explore the kinesthetic and interpersonal intelligences. The Kinesthetic intelligence is found in actors, sports stars, ballet dancers and other performers who use their bodies to communicate or do their jobs. Unfortunately except for PE classes these students do not find many places where their smarts can help them in school. The Interpersonal intelligence is found in people who work well with others. Many teachers probably count this intelligence as one of their strongest but schools do not tend to put a lot of emphasis on learning to work with others or allowing students time to use their interpersonal skills.

Lesson 5: Self and Nature Smart

In this lesson we study the intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligences. The intrapersonal intelligence is strong in knowing about himself and feels most comfortable working alone. The naturalistic intelligence enjoys plants animals and the out of doors. The self smart kids in our class probably long for a quiet corner where they can reflect on what they have learned. The nature smart kids in our class probably long for a romp in the outdoors. But with a little bit of work on our part we may be able to provide these two intelligences a place in our classrooms where they can feel comfortable.

Lesson 6: Putting it All Together

In the last 4 lessons we have explored the 8 Multiple Intelligences and how we can use them to relate to our students. Hopefully you have found some ways to help you understand each student and how their own strengths and weaknesses can affect how they learn and how we can use that information to make it easier for them to master new skills or relate what they are learning to their own strenghts and interests. In this lesson we will look back at what we have learned and put it all together into a final project.

Fundamentals of Instructional Design Curriculum:

Lesson 1: Before You Begin Designing Instruction

This lesson will provide background information that you will find useful as you begin your study of instructional design. You will begin with an overview of the history, traditions, and current state of the discipline of instructional design. Then you will explore how people think and learn. This part of the lesson will introduce and review cognition and the basic cognitive functions as well as the most popular description of what learning is and how it occurs.

Lesson 2: Examining the Situation - Needs, Task, and Learner Analysis

Before you can begin to create an instructional intervention for any group of learners, you need to first thoroughly analyze the situation in order to determine the best course of action. This lesson will explore the instructional design processes that help to answer the question, What type of intervention is needed? You will be introduced to the principles, processes, and practices of needs analysis, which helps determine what kind of change the instruction should help to bring about. You will also learn how to conduct a task analysis, which is a way of understanding the content and/or tasks that will form the basis for the instruction being developed. Finally, you will be introduced to the learner analysis, which is a way of getting to know the people the instruction is for.

Lesson 3: Creating Instruction - Planning, Designing, and Implementing the Intervention

This lesson focuses on how instructional designers create instructional goals and objectives, which determine what students will actually do during the instruction. Students will be introduced to the principles, processes, and practices of organizing instruction, which helps the designer determine the scope and sequence of the activities that the learner will engage in. In addition, students will learn about the variety of learning environments and instructional activities that may be incorporated into an instructional design.

Lesson 4: Evaluation - Determining the Effect of the Intervention

This lesson will cover the principles, processes, and practices of assessment and evaluation that instructional designers use to determine learner success and the success of the instructional design process. First, students will learn about the principles, processes, and practices of evaluating learner achievement. Then, students will learn how to evaluate the success of the instructional design product and process.

Lesson 5: Media Production - Managing the Media Development Process

This lesson will provide information about media production management and visual design. This information will be useful to you for completing the production portion of an instructional design project. Students will learn the concepts of instructional media production management as well as the basic principles of visual design for instructional media.

All necessary course materials are included.

Certification(s):

Students will be prepared to take the ETS ParaPro Assessment upon completion of this course.

In order to register for the exam, students will need to use these instructions to register to take the exam either from home remotely or in person at a testing center..   Each state has their own minimum passing score, students should be aware of the score they must achieve in order to pass the ParaPro Assessment.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.