Special education teachers know they cannot run an effective program without the assistance of a good paraprofessional...or 2. (Or 8 in my case).
If you are lucky enough to be included in the interview process, you want to be prepared. Your administrator will most likely lead the interview but you want to be able to ask good questions when the time comes. It is important that the prospective para knows what he/she is getting themselves into and you need to be able to effectively weed out the ones who wouldn't be a good fit. This person will become your right hand, if not your left so you want to get a good one.
Below you will find the questions I ask during an interview.
What is your background with individuals who have special needs?
What do you feel would be your roles & respsonsibilities as a paraprofessional?
What kinds of things would you intentionally do to prove you are a part of a team?
What qualities do you have that would make you effective in this position?
What makes you the best fit for this position?
What is your philosophy on intentional behaviors vs. a behavior that is a result of a disability?
How would you handle a stressful behavior such as biting, kicking, spitting, etc.?
What would you do if a student began screaming, throwing things or tearing materials up?
Would you be able to remain calm in stressful situations?
Are you able to accept feedback on your job performance?
How do you plan to support your supervising teacher?
What do you see as your role with the regular education teachers in the building?
Tell about a time you had difficulty with a co-worker and how was it resolved?
What is your definition of confidentiality?
How would you handle a situation of a teacher wanting to discuss a student while waiting in line at the copy machine?
How do you feel about posting pictures of students on social media?
How would you handle a situation where a teacher identified a student as having special needs to another adult who did not have a 'need to know'?
Are you able to accept feedback on your job performance?
How do you plan to support your supervising teacher?
What do you see as your role with the regular education teachers in the building?
Tell about a time you had difficulty with a co-worker and how was it resolved?
Are you comfortable assisting with toileting needs?
Are you comfortable assisting with feeding needs?
What would you do if a child ran from you?
What would be your reaction to a student having a seizure within the classroom?
Are you willing to follow a schedule and are you willing to be flexible when that schedule changes?
Are you comfortable lifting students to aide in mobility?
Are you able to accept feedback on your job performance?
How do you plan to support your supervising teacher?
What do you see as your role with the regular education teachers in the building?
Tell about a time you had difficulty with a co-worker and how was it resolved?
If an administrator walked in the classroom where you were scheduled for inclusion, what would they see you doing?
What are some methods you intend to use to help you stay calm in stressful situations?
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
So there you have it....My go-to questions when interviewing paraprofessionals. You can find the 1 page printable to keep in your teacher binder in my resource library.
