Special Education for Beginners | Managing Paraprofessionals, Special Education Strategies, First Year Sped Teachers, Special Ed Overwhelm, Paperwork for Special Education Teachers

How to Lead Paraprofessionals with Confidence (Even If You’ve Never Been Trained)

• Episode 217

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Welcome to a brand new month on the podcast! July is all about working with one of the most essential (and often most misunderstood) members of your classroom team—your paraprofessionals.

In this episode, Jennifer kicks off the series by discussing one of the most important shifts you’ll ever make as a special educator: moving from a boss mentality to a leadership mindset. If you’ve ever struggled with managing adults, felt unsure about how to delegate, or dreaded para drama more than your to-do list—this one’s for you.

You’ll hear:

  • Jennifer’s honest story about how her early leadership struggles shaped her career
  • The difference between a boss and a leader (and why it matters so much)
  • Practical tips for communicating clearly and leading with intention
  • Tools that helped transform her classroom team into a collaborative unit
  • A reminder that you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself

Plus, Jennifer shares a powerful free opportunity you won’t want to miss: her upcoming presentation at the Autism Little Learners Virtual Summit happening July 14–16. In her session, The Power of Us, you’ll get even more real talk, strategies, and editable resources to help you build and lead the para team your students deserve.

🛠 Mentioned in this episode:
🎥 Leading Paraprofessionals Training Video on TpT


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Speaker 1:

Well, hey there, welcome back to Special Education for Beginners. I am your host, jennifer, and can you believe it is already July this month on the podcast, we are focusing on a group of people who make our classrooms run more smoothly, who are supporting our students day in and day out our paraprofessionals. But let's be honest, it's not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes our support staff can be the source of one of our biggest challenges. So over the next few weeks, I will be walking you through the same strategies I've used as a teacher, department head and instructional coach to help special educators, just like you, go from feeling stuck and stressed to supported and confident in their leadership role. And then, on the last episode of the month, you will hear directly from them what they need, what they appreciate and what makes them feel like part of the team. So let's kick off this month with something that will set the tone for everything else how to stop managing from a place of survival and start leading with purpose. Let's get to it. Hey, special educator, are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload. Well, hey there, I'm Jennifer Hopperberg, an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach, who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and, yes, I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me. Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos, to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand. So are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape, because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming laugh. So you don't cry.

Speaker 1:

Profession of being a special education teacher. So if you've ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of supervising adults, if you ever thought to yourself I'm great with kids, I love teaching, but I just wasn't trained for this, you are in the right place, because this episode is all about making one of the most important shifts of your career, the mindset shift from boss to leader. This shift changes everything from how you delegate tasks to how you build trust, handle conflict and create a team culture that actually works. And here's the best part you don't have to figure it out alone. Let me start with a question Do you struggle working alongside paraprofessionals? Even just a little? If you're nodding your head, yes, you're not alone.

Speaker 1:

Most, if not all, special educators will face this challenge at some point in their career. We went to school to work with children, not manage adults. A special education teaching position. You are also accepting a leadership role, but unfortunately, no one prepares us for that. You are suddenly expected to supervise, delegate, mentor and redirect grown adults, some of whom may be older than you, have more years in the building than you do or even view their role very differently than you do, and meanwhile you're also expected to write legally binding documents, manage student behaviors, plan individualized instruction, attend meetings, collect data, all while trying to not burn out by October. It's no wonder so many of us feel so overwhelmed when it comes to leading a team. Being a special educator is a calling, but it also requires leadership skills that most of us were never taught. And when that leadership piece is missing, it impacts everything the flow of your day, the support your students receive and your own stress level. But luckily it is something you can learn. You can learn to lead well. You can learn to build a strong, respectful, collaborative team, even if things feel shaky right now, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today.

Speaker 1:

I started teaching at just 22 years old, fresh out of college, full of passion and completely unaware of how unprepared I was to lead a team. My first paraprofessional was named Marla, and Marla was basically perfect in every way. She had been doing the job for many years with several different teachers. She was patient, organized and helped me learn all the things I didn't know. I didn't know how to progress, monitor, how to set up routines, how to redirect without escalating. She was calm, consistent and capable and for a few years I thought I had this whole leading a team thing figured out. And then she moved and reality stepped in.

Speaker 1:

The years that followed were hard. I had paraprofessionals who hid in bathrooms to avoid responsibilities, who called in absent constantly or didn't call in at all and just wouldn't show up. I had paras who refused to follow the schedule. I had paras, who gossiped, caused drama and openly challenged my authority. And I dreaded going to work, not because of the kids, not because of the paperwork, but because I didn't know how to lead the adults in my classroom. And here's the hard truth it wasn't about them, it was about me.

Speaker 1:

I was the common denominator through it all I didn't know how to set expectations. I didn't know how to set expectations. I didn't know how to give feedback. I didn't know how to supervise or lead adults, because no one had ever taught me how. I assumed, like so many of us do, that grown adults should just know what to do, that they would come in, follow the routines and jump in where needed. But that assumption that leadership would come naturally was exactly what kept me stuck and stressed for far too long.

Speaker 1:

So what finally made the difference for me wasn't a strategy, a checklist or a new program. It was a mindset shift. I had to stop thinking like a boss and start leading like a true leader. So here is what I realized A boss gives orders, a boss focuses on compliance, a boss relies on authority, a boss blames people and a boss reacts to problems, whereas a leader inspires action. A leader builds trust. They build influence, they build systems, and a leader works to prevent problems and a leader works to prevent problems. It's the difference between saying do this because I said so, and here's the goal. Let's figure out how to get there together.

Speaker 1:

When I made that shift, when I started showing up with intention, clarity and collaboration, everything changed. My team dynamic improved, the stress eased and the classroom began to feel like a shared space where everyone felt valued and accepted. Leadership wasn't about having all the answers. It was about creating the kind of environment where everyone could thrive, including me. When I was operating from a boss mentality, I spent most of my time reacting. I was constantly putting out fires, dealing with miscommunications, managing tension or picking up the slack when someone didn't follow through. But when I stepped into leadership, I learned to operate with intention instead of reaction. I began clearly communicating expectations. I began creating a culture of feedback and open dialogue, and I built in time for weekly check-ins, even if they were just five minutes in the hallway.

Speaker 1:

These intentional actions didn't just make my job easier. They made my paras feel seen, supported and respected, and when people feel that way, they want to show up, they want to do a good job and they want to be a part of that team, and you could absolutely start doing this too, and luckily you don't have to overhaul your entire system to begin. One intentional action at a time is all it takes. So let's talk about those possible actions. There are a few tools that changed things for me. I implemented a stop, start, continue reflection activity to clarify what I really needed for my team, what I wanted them to stop doing, start doing and continue doing. I implemented a para expectation sheet that we all reviewed and signed at the beginning of the year. I implemented a para interest survey that helped me assign duties based on strengths and preferences and, eventually, a paraessional handbook to keep everything in one place. These tools became my support system. They gave me structure, clarity and confidence, and my paras appreciated the consistency too.

Speaker 1:

So if you're thinking that sounds amazing, but where do I start? Don't worry, I've got you. I have bundled all these tools and more and walked you through how to use them inside my Leading Paraprofessionals Training video, a ready-to-use real-talk professional development resource made just for special education teachers like you. You can click the link in the show notes to get instant access to the exact strategies and materials I've used to build confident, consistent and collaborative parateams. You don't have to figure this out on your own. The tools are ready. All you have to do is press play.

Speaker 1:

We are in a time when paraprofessional shortages are real, when burnout is high and teachers are leaving the field in droves. But I believe with all of my heart that strong teams can prevent strong teachers from walking away. When your paras feel valued, when your team feels cohesive, when you're not constantly putting out those fires, you can start to enjoy the job again. You rediscover your energy, your students benefit and everyone wins. That's why this work is so important. That's why I continue to teach it, coach it and live it, because I've been on the other side. I've been that exhausted, discouraged teacher who's been doubting herself, and I don't want that for you. So if any part of today's episode resonated with you, if you've ever felt like no one prepared you to lead adults, I want you to know you're not behind and you're not alone.

Speaker 1:

I'm going even deeper into this conversation during my session at the Autism Little Learners Virtual Summit, which runs July 14th through 16th.

Speaker 1:

My presentation is called the Power of Us Strengthening Team Dynamics in Special Education Classrooms, and it's packed with more practical strategies, editable tools and real talk to help you build that para team that your classroom deserves.

Speaker 1:

You can sign up completely free at spedprepacademycom slash summit or check the show notes for the link. What you get when you register is free access to each day's presentations for 24 hours, actionable tools you can implement right away, a private Facebook group for fun, support and prizes, and the option to upgrade to the all access pass, which gives you 12 month access to all sessions, a private podcast feed, printable certificate of completion for each session, access to exclusive speaker bonuses, the ability to earn ASHA CEUs, access to live events throughout the summit week and a printable summit bingo card to win prizes. If you're ready to learn more about how to support your paraprofessionals, as well as transform how you support young autistic learners, this summit is for you, and I can't wait to hear what you take away from it. Again, go to wwwspedprepacademycom slash summit. Next week, we will continue our paraprofessional series with an episode all about how to effectively delegate without dumping. I'll see you then.