Shane's Journey to Teaching Shared with Alex Flatley, JET Intern

“I am one of them,” Niles expressed in response to the first interview question about why he works with kids. Shane Niles was born and raised in Boston, MA. He attended Boston Public Schools (BPS) from kindergarten through twelfth grade. A proud Black man, Niles shared that the work of teaching is deeply personal for him because of his work journey, identity, and education in Boston. After graduating from UMASS Amherst in 2014, he got his first job as a one-on-one paraprofessional at Brooke Charter School in Mattapan. When asked why he wanted to be a teacher, he responded that “I have always loved working with kids,” “I just fell into it.” 

He was at Brooke for two years. After one year of being a paraprofessional (para), he became an Associate Teacher (AT), although the role isn’t hugely different from the duties of a paraprofessional. (Note that the Associate Teacher program is specific to Brooke, but many charter schools have similar initiatives where “teachers in training” have a full year of practicing instruction, targeting mentoring, and creation of their vision for their own classroom.) As an AT, Niles learned about classroom management, writing lesson plans, and general curriculum work.,. Although he was an AT for a fifth grade teacher mentor, he was able to work with all grades at the K-8 school , because a big part of the AT role is covering classes when teachers are absent. After his time at Brooke, he explored other paraprofessional roles within the BPS district. He wanted to become a lead teacher in the district, but knew that this might mean entering as a para and working his way up. 

Niles loved his work as a paraprofessional, but his ultimate goal was to gain a full-time lead role as teacher. Through his work at Brooke as both a para and AT he was able to learn “the basics,” he said, and really see what excellent instruction looks like. He still uses strategies, techniques, and lesson planning ideas that he learned from Brooke today. Shane feels that because of his experience at Brooke, he was able to make the transition to teaching a little better because of the foundational pieces he had gained. However, Niles mentioned, there was a lot “behind closed doors” he didn’t get to see as a para or AT, such as the intricacies of lesson planning, data meetings and implementation, family conferences, unit and scope planning, and more. He loved the flexibility and range that one can develop as a paraprofessional. He was able to work with a variety of grade levels, see different teaching styles, and work with students who have different needs. 

By 2018, Niles landed a position at the Joseph Lee school in the BPS. For two years, he was an inclusion paraprofessional working with students with autism. While he was serving in that role, he passed his MTELs and received his Masters In Education at UMass Boston. After that, he was offered a teaching position at Joseph Lee in second grade. He is loving his role there and is on track to receive tenure next year. “There were certainly things I still didn’t know how to do,” Niles stated, such as attending IEP meetings, managing family relationships, adjusting to a teacher schedule, utilizing data, and more. He has loved being a Lead Teacher in a second grade classroom, and feels grateful for the important learning moments that he had before obtaining this role, many of which were as a paraprofessional.

Niles shared advice to paraprofessionals out there working as hard as he did: “Do what you have got to do,” he explained. While he was a paraprofessional, he worked to study and pass his MTELs while gaining an additional degree. This made him a great candidate when the second grade teaching role surfaced. Shane also mentioned the importance of networking and meeting people in the education space. He shared that he landed the paraprofessional role at BPS through contacts at Joseph Lee - this was a critical part of his job search: networking consistently. 

To paraprofessionals working to become lead teachers, Niles warned that it might take time and a lot of effort, but that great teachers are always learning and growing. “Stay on your toes and show up to work on time!” Niles said. His passion for his students, this work, and his own professional journey shown through in the conversation. 

“Nothing has changed since I was a kid here,” Niles said as we closed out the conversation. He expressed a desire to be a mirror for his students, while also helping them navigate the system, as he wished teachers had done. “I made it out and I am doing this now, I want them to know that,” Niles shared about his students. Niles closed with words of wisdom to current paraprofessionals: “We commend you! Your word is undervalued and under appreciated, but you are seen! Even though no one knows that you help run the school smoothly, we see you and appreciate you!”

Shane Niles, Second Grade Lead Teacher (former Paraprofessional) at Joseph Lee Elementary School, Boston Public Schools