Week 1

            I have had quite a bit of experience with working with families. I have worked in an elementary school as a paraprofessional, more specifically with the Resource Students. Working with these families can be extremely rewarding, but also can become difficult because you do meet more often than other teachers work and meet with their families. It is important to be a teacher first in all parent relationships, this helps shutdown inappropriate conversations and other altercations. I do not know as much to do with the community, but I do know it is important to know what you community has to offer to assist these families. Working with special needs students you will have a lot of opportunities to work with different professionals and help facilitate services to families.

            This semester I want to know what is appropriate to parents, how am I to kindly encourage them to help their children receive their needed services? What is a case manager or special needs teacher’s role in getting these children services in and outside of the school setting? I want to better understand the different kind of services that are available, and lastly and most importantly. How do I help these parents cope, what is appropriate?