JET Paraprofessionals Make A Positive Impact in the COVID-19 Learning Environment

“This has been a very complicated time adjusting with all these changes, but I am getting there.” - Brockton JET Participant

JET paraprofessionals are mastering the new norm of distance learning brought about by COVID-19. They are thriving online in their classroom instructional roles and completing their spring college courses.

While schools across the country have shut down in response to the threat of COVID-19, JET paraprofessionals are still hard at work, providing instrumental support to the students and parents they serve. Since the switch to remote learning, many JET paraprofessionals have been tasked with providing more individualized support in the form of wellness check-ins, academic assistance, and virtual meetings with parents. Multiple paraprofessionals have noted that they are collaborating regularly with their teachers in creating lesson plans and participating in regular school and district-wide professional development sessions. Paraprofessionals in the New Bedford School District are receiving training through the MasterTeacher eLearning Platform, in addition to participating in their professional development at the district level.

Though learning has changed drastically in the past few weeks, our paraprofessionals have skillfully adjusted---and are continuing to adjust--- to the changes brought by COVID-19. JET paraprofessionals have learned to use virtual platforms---some of which include Zoom, Seesaw, and FaceTime---to communicate with their students and families. Though limited access to technology and internet has proven difficult for students across JET’s participating districts, paraprofessionals in Brockton have continued to collaborate with their teachers and provide support to their students’ families, as her school district undergoes the process of distributing laptops and other essential materials to her students.

As JET paraprofessionals have had to shift their methods of instruction as educators, they have had to simultaneously undergo major changes in their roles as college students. While some JET participants had already been taking college coursework online, many other JET paraprofessionals have had their courses shift from in-person to online, right in the middle of their semester. Although the transition to online learning has proved challenging for some, many of our JET participants have remained successful and will be finishing their Spring 2020 courses in the coming weeks. A JET paraprofessional from Boston Public Schools noted that remote learning was challenging to him because he performs best when he is in the classroom. But despite this, he is continuing to do what is necessary to be successful.