Job Summary

Orange County Public Schools is seeking a Paraprofessional Assistant to provide support in an educational environment. The successful candidate will work under the direction of certified teachers and other school officials to assist students with instructional, vocational, and developmental activities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Provide assistance to certified teachers, occupational therapists, and other certified specialists in the education, care, and development of mentally, physically, emotionally disabled, and other special needs students.
2. Assist students as they arrive on buses and transfer them to and from learning areas, including physically transferring students from wheelchairs to school desks or floor mats for participation in school activities.
3. Assist students with gross motor activities, such as grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to individual development.
4. Monitor, observe, and chart the behavior of students in their exploratory classes and document behavioral changes, outbursts, and other actions specific to the student.
5. Apply effective principles and procedures of crisis intervention to students with aggressive behavior or other social difficulties.
6. Reinforce rules of the school and learning environment, acknowledging and encouraging appropriate behavior and distinguishing inappropriate behavior for the students' understanding.
7. Assist in the preparation of lesson plans, behavior modification plans, and teacher's pre-planning sessions, providing input and assistance in the development of learning activities.
8. Maintain accurate and complete records of student activities and behavior, which may require the use of a computer terminal to enter student information and data.

Requirements

• Associate's degree or higher, or at least 60 semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education, or passing the paraprofessional certification exam.
• Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to the needs of school-age children.
• Previous vocational training or work experience in a licensed childcare environment is preferred.