Education makes a critical contribution to the development of society. In today’s world, where equality and diversity play a paramount role, more attention should be given to inclusive education. It means that education systems must develop and implement education strategies for special-needs students. I want to research the co-teaching models and the role of the paraeducators’ assistance in the classroom with children with disabilities. According to the data, 7.2 million school students received special services in 2020-2021 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). I am interested in researching this topic since I find it crucial to emphasize the quality of education for students with different abilities. In order to achieve that, effective teaching models and strategies are needed.
There are different co-teaching models where the teacher collaborates with the instructor for the students with disabilities. Such models usually integrate supportive and direct communication to create a more comfortable environment for disabled students who study in general education classes (Stephens & Woodbury, 2021). The assistance of the paraprofessional in the classrooms with a student with any kind of disability plays a critical role in building a supportive and quality education environment (Zimmerman, 2022). Statistics demonstrate that the number of working paraprofessionals has also increased due to the need to include students with disabilities in the general classrooms (Cole-Lade & Bailey, 2019). At this point, the research will focus on effective collaboration between the regular education teacher and the paraeducator. Such factors as lesson strategies, distribution of power, and observation methods are worth studying in the context of the parallel work of the two instructors. Collaborative learning is beneficial for the students when implemented properly (Zernow, 2022). Different roles and objectives of the paraeducators should be observed, improved, and implemented to achieve quality and effective teaching models for classrooms with disabled students.
References
Cole-Lade, G. M., & Bailey, L. E. (2020). Examining the role of paraeducators when supporting children with complex communication needs: A multiple case study. Teacher Education and Special Education, 43(2), 144-161.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Students with disabilities. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of education, institute of education sciences.
Stephens, T. L., & Woodbury, C. (2021). Paraeducators. In Collaboration (pp. 71-85). Routledge.
Zernow, M. R. (2022). A case study of a secondary education co-teaching model. Doctoral dissertation. University of La Verne.
Zimmerman, K. N. (2022). Applying co-teaching models to enhance partnerships between teachers and speech-language pathologists. Intervention in School and Clinic.