Firstly, teachers need to know the benefits for all the educational community. Even now, in some countries like Mexico is not easy to recognize the usefulness of a shadow teacher.

Dear Margarete,

In case the student is able to express his opinion, one solution would be to ask the student in which way he/she is mostly benefited. Why don't you try that, instead of arguing each other? I suggest you adopt his will.

I also attach a relevent article, which discloses interesting approaches.

Best regards 

Dear Margarete,

I myself have worked as a paraeducator, and from experience I can say that one element which prevents a most effective working relationship and communication is control. Some teachers have to feel in total control, whereas others appreciate that they can not do everything and successfully understand the benefits of delegation.

Another area which may benefit you to consider would be personality traits; autocratic and democratic,  as this plays a significant role. Perhaps, provide questionnaire's to teacher, paraeducators and students. You may find that if teachers become aware of how they are perceived in the classroom, it may encourage them to adopt new understanding and strategies for effective communication and cooperation in the classroom.   

Dear Margarete

I belive that if you look for some Paulo Freire's work, you'll have some lights about this question.

Most teacher have fear to loose control of the class, and generates a fear and control based enviroment to all in classes (even not meaning to do that).I belive that if we recognize that everybody has something  to share and teach to each other (knowledge, work and life experience, culture, etc), and if the kids are exposed to the most different teaching referents (different teachers, paraeducators, parents, etc), we can generate more learning possibilites to our students.

Good luck with your research.

Dear all,

thank you for your ideas. This is really helpful and gives me insight. As I was thinking more about the subject, I was wondering, if there was one more problem in this field: When teachers assign students to a para-educator, could this not be detrimental in a way? Does this tell the student that he / she needs extra help and is considered "weak"? Should para-educators rather work with all students at some time? How is this handled?

Thank you for your ideas,

Margarete

Dear Margarete

I believe that all these things you are concerned really occur in class everywhere, but if the teacher (and the educational community) creates an environment of equality, respect, and creativity, all these situations disappear. There are some interesting works in this field, you should look to "learning communities" in Spain, and I am working with this methodology here in Chile (in a dialogical pedagogy program), where we use "learning colaborattors" in language, math and Physical Education classes, with very interesting results.

Good luck with your research.

Several days ago, I listened to an informative interview on Wisconsin Public Radio that included two teacher education specialists who teach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (in Wisconsin, USA). They were addressing the topic of cooperation and collaboration in schools in a manner that included teachers, teaching assistants, students, principals, and even parents and other adults. I will see if I can find the link and post it here.

Peace, Jackie 

HERE is the link to the Radio Program mentioned above. 90.7

The show aired on UWM Public Radio on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 1:30 PM Milwaukee, WI time (Central Standard Time).

http://wuwm.com/programs/uwm-today

Peace, Jackie 

Thank you Jackie for the link. I think key for effective help from non-professionals and for cooperation between different agents is communication and a common ground, a common goal and mutual appreciation. This is not easy to accomplish and needs work and facilitation. It is interesting to learn more about how this is brought about and how constructive learning and teaching environments are built.

Thank you, Margaret. The two teacher educators who were interviewed had very exciting messages to share about how this approach has worked in the classroom, with teachers, para-educators, AND Student Teachers, as well. Peace, Jackie 

I am not familiar with the term "paraeducators." What does it really mean? Is it ilke the difference between teachers and tutors? I think it is so.

In a class room,  we have on average of 50-60 students and hence it is practically impossible for a teacher to care his students individually. This will definitely affect slow learners adversely and the teaching learning process  will not be that much fruitful in this situation. Drawbacks of certain students will be overlooked and nourishment programmes meant for gifted students also will not work out properly under usual class room environment.

But in a tutorial classes, the number of students is less and tutors can provide a little more individual attention and can help weaker students more fruitfully. remedial programmes and enrichment programmes can be more effective implemented in tutorial classes.

Hence,  only a good combination of lecture classes and tutorial classes is desirable for the better learning outcomes.

One way to think about para-teachers or para-educators is to think of teachers and teacher aides, people who do not yet have a teaching degree, or perhaps any degree, who help teachers in the classroom. Para teachers and/or para-educators differ from student teachers, who are, in fact, students in universities preparing to become teachers. At least in USA.

ALL different from tutors, who offer one on one or small group extra assistance.

Peace, Jackie 

The USA Public Television Show, the Newshour, for Wednesday, April 29, 2015, featured a segment on USA Teacher/Educator of the Year. She focused on collaborative education at her school.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/worlds-best-teacher-believe-tests-quizzes/

Peace, Jackie 

There is very much research by Michael Giangreco and colleagues and Blatchford, Webster and colleagues. They also have a project-site. See link below.

Best regards, Conny

http://maximisingtas.co.uk/research/the-diss-project.php

As auxiliary paraeducators in the classroom, the key element to achieve good synergy between them and teachers, the key is communication and joint planning of the subject class. Thus complementarities and build the capacities of both prey upon teach the class.

In planning the class, both facilitators should at least address the following aspects:

1- Planning class to class for different courses catering to the individual and group differences.

2- Include in class work spaces for students, problematize situations: reflect on what they learned and how they did, transferring learning to other topics.

3- Apply, and evaluated systematically, some strategies thinking development program, work in an integrated form of the subject.

4- Getting students interested in treaties content, voluntarily and independently investigating themselves and finding new sources of information.

5- Encourage participation in external competitions, even if it means a greater investment of time and labor.

6- Encourage and support student initiatives focused on research and development of complementary projects in the subject matters.

I think you could look at the collaboration and co-teaching literature.  If you consider the parapro as a "teacher" with a different set of skills, the relationship of respect can be built.  There is some interesting stuff about co-teaching like a marriage.  A teacher and a parapro, educational assistant work in such a relationship.  Communication training, the essentials of collaboration, and focusing on roles such as who does what when, should help the relationship.