Classrooms are complex environments, especially in New York City. By forming strong partnerships, teachers and paraprofessionals can meet demands head-on and create inclusive spaces that support every student. As we engage in our RESPECT check campaign, educators reflect on all the ways working closely with paraprofessionals makes a big difference in their classrooms.

Priscilla Castro, chairperson of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter, knows the importance of relying on paraprofessionals as classroom partners. 

“Doing so strengthens the educational experience for all,” Castro said. “When teachers and paraprofessionals are on the same page, the classroom becomes a place of unity. Students benefit from having all the adults in the room focused on the same goals and expectations.”

Paraprofessionals “serve as a communication bridge” between families and school, explained Steven Kos, a science teacher with dual certification in special education at MS 245 in Manhattan. Kos also worked as a paraprofessional for five years before becoming a teacher. “A skilled paraprofessional can read a student’s state of mind and signal to the teacher how much to push academically.”

Liaisha White-Seeney, a social studies and former special education teacher at Brooklyn Preparatory HS, notes that paraprofessionals on the high school level “have a unique perspective on a student as they move from class to class.” She collaborates by asking paraprofessionals to share successful supports used in other classrooms that she can adapt to her classroom. 

Studies have shown that paraprofessionals improve student outcomes both socially and academically and provide key instructional support for teachers, like enabling differentiated instruction.

“We’re all teachers to different degrees,” Kos emphasized. 

The role of a paraprofessional and the individual support they provide to students gives them insight that can carry over into the classroom, said Steven Mintzer, a UFT liaison to the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning and a former city special education teacher.

Paraprofessionals often develop close relationships with students and their families that can provide valuable insight to teachers. “They may know more about what’s going on personally with a student,” Mintzer added.  

Since they also work so closely with students during instruction, paraprofessionals can observe firsthand how effective a teaching strategy may be. “They help me decide which supports actually help versus which just look good on paper,” said Chauntae Franklin, a special education teacher at P94M@PS 188, a District 75 school in Manhattan. “Their feedback helps me adjust lessons before small issues become big ones. Their insight helps me so much, they are my extra eyes.” 

Finding time to meet with your paraprofessional colleagues is key. Beyond sharing curriculum and plans ahead of time, quick check-ins can make a big difference. 

“Relationships grow in small human moments–not just meetings,” said Franklin, who engages in five- to 10-minute meetings during breakfast arrival.  “My top quick questions are ‘What do we need to focus on?’ and ‘What might be tricky?’” 

“Check-ins help create that partnership. Being honest and transparent is essential,” said White-Seeney who invites her paraprofessional colleagues to her planning periods.

Chanel Quintero, a special education teacher at PS/MS 280 in the Bronx, often checks in with her paraprofessional colleagues “to bounce ideas off each other, gain feedback or provide support to each other.” Debriefs about what teaching strategies worked, or didn’t work, really help develop supports for students. 

Sharing responsibility also means teachers should be “willing to share ownership of student success,” she explained. Paraprofessionals play a strong role in student outcomes, so it’s essential to “recognize their contributions,” Quintero said.  

A teacher-paraprofessional partnership built upon respect, transparency and shared goals works to the advantage of everyone in the classroom. “Investing time in shared learning,” said Quintero, “benefits everyone — students, paraprofessionals, and teachers alike.”