Presentation by: Juliane Dmyterko
Session: A | Time: 9:00 AM-9:40 AM | Location: Room 207
Innovative research findings in the UK suggest ways that teachers and education assistants (EAs) can work together to enhance student learning. The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and Canadian Union of Professional Employees British Columbia (CUPE BC) recommend ways that teachers and EAs should work together through the Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Education Assistants Joint Paper, which aligns with this UK research. When teachers and EAs work as a team, student inclusion is enhanced and professionals’ job satisfaction and sense of community increases. However, many factors can create barriers for teachers and EAs to work together effectively and according to best practice. In this presentation, we will briefly review findings from large-scale studies on EA work and discuss practical strategies for how teachers and EAs can to work together better as a team. We will consider how teachers and EAs can collaborate on their roles in the classroom, sharing information, and how to best support each other. The goal of this presentation is to have participants leave with a better understanding of best practices for teacher-EA collaboration and strategies to become a stronger team in the classroom.
Abstract: 604