Educational Assistant and other professionals

Introduction

Introduction 

Working as an Educational Assistant requires working alongside with other professionals. In this WebQuest we will be exploring the roles of two other professionals that Educational Assistants may be required to work with. 

The two professionals that we will be exploring today are a classroom teacher and a speech and language pathologist. 

The supervising teacher is the professional that will have the most contact with the educational assistant who is working in there classroom. A teacher and an educational assistant will work closely together to determine the needs of the students in the class. A teacher will make the final decisions on what will be taught and how it will be taught, this will impact the educational assistant because his/her daily tasks will be determined by what the teacher chooses. An educational assistant will report to the teacher.

A Speech-Language pathologist and an Educational Assistant will not work as closely together as a teacher and Educational Assistant. However, this relationship is very important for the students who need speech. An Educational Assistant is expected to learn from the Speech-Language pathologist and continue working with the students assigned to them using materials and strategies provided.

 

Task

Supervising Teacher

A supervising teacher has many roles inside the classroom. They are responsible for each child's academic learning and social skills. They must be able to effectively reach each student at his/her different educational levels in their lesson plans. To meet the needs of each student a teacher may be assigned an Educational Assistant. While the Educational Assistant may work with children throughout the classroom, the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and Educational Assistant are different. 

The teacher is responsible for diagnosing the learning needs of their students. Together the teacher and Educational Assistant will discuss the students’ strengths and weakness. If the teacher requests, the Educational Assistant will go to program-planning meetings, if not, the teacher will attend them. After a program is made by the teacher and others involved in the program-planning meeting the Educational Assistant is responsible for implementing the program and observing the student. The Education Assistant will discuss with the teacher their observations. 

The teacher is responsible for preparing individual program, or prescribing solutions. However, an Educational Assistant can suggest possible course of action. The teacher is also responsible for planning lessons and choosing appropriate modifications. Together, teacher and Educational Assistant may prepare these materials. An Educational Assistant will support the student under these modified lesson plans. 

The supervising teacher is fully responsible for the whole of the classroom. From lesson planning, discipline, teaching, evaluating, and reporting. An Educational Assistant is responsible for supporting the teacher in their classroom. They may share their professional ideas and collaborate with the teacher but may only work with established structures of classroom management, behavioral  rules and IPP expectations. When reporting an Educational Assistant is expected to report only to the supervising teacher with their collection of observations.

Speech-Language Pathologist

The roles of a Speech-Language pathologist in a school include, assessing and diagnosing speech, language, communication and swallowing disorders. Speech-Language pathologist also contributes to educational goal setting, planning and curriculum accessibility. Speech-language pathologist have expertise in developing oral and written language skills, supporting leaning and in helping students make social connections. Speech-Language pathologists have training in argumentative and alternate communication. They also have training in feeding and swallowing. Speech-Language pathologist are qualified to identify speech, sound, fluency, resonance, and voice disorders.

Speech-language pathologist are familiar with the workings of the school system. This has allowed them to become a good member of team of professionals who work alongside the students, teachers, parents, and other supporting staff.

This is where we begin to encounter the working relationship between a Speech-Language pathologist and an educational assistant. Speech-Language pathology services are enhanced through collaboration with the Speech-Language team and others including Educational Assistants. An Educational Assistant will follow the plan according to the individual program plan. If the student needs speech this will be included in this plan. The Educational Assistant can follow the plan given and make observations. In this case the Educational Assistants will continue to report back to the supervising teacher who will report to the pathologists.

 

 

Conclusion

The role of an Educational Assistant really varies on the needs of the school and students. An Educational Assistant is there to support the supervising teacher and other professionals who are part of each students individual program planning; today we researched a speech-language pathologists. In supporting other professionals, educational assistants are able to help achieve academic and social skill of the students they work with.

Credits