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Sample Procedure:

Students often need to ask the teacher or paraeducator a question or seek their assistance. It is important that students get help as quickly as possible without interrupting other students or the teacher. The first step in dealing with the problem is to try and eliminate unnecessary questions. The paraeducator can assist by helping to deal with all possible problems before starting an activity and by checking to see that students have all the tools and materials necessary to work.

Requests for Help

When students do need help, it is important that students are provided with a way to let the teacher or paraeducator know they need assistance. Students might typically ask for assistance by:

• Raising a hand;
• Putting up a flag on their desk;
• Calling out the teacher's name; and
• Asking another student for help.

Some of these options are obviously better than others. When students are working independently, requests for assistance often cause students to stop work and wait for the teacher or the paraeducator and may disrupt the class.

The teacher and can develop a procedures to help insure that students do not stop working when they have a question. Paraeducators can be particularly effective in supporting these procedures.

Techniques & Procedures Students Use to Seek Assistance

If you have a question or need assistance take the following steps:

1. Check the activity directions again.
2. Quietly check with your neighbor for assistance.
3. Raise the assistance flag on your desk.
4. Continue working on the next problem until the teacher or paraeducator arrives.
5. If you cannot continue without assistance take out your personal work folder and continue working in it until help arrives.

Paraeducators' Responses to Requests for Assistance

Paraeducators can help support these procedures by:

• Scanning the room and acknowledging the assistance flag as soon a possible, even if you cannot go to the student immediately;
• Providing assistance at the earliest appropriate time;
• Not spending too much time with one student;
• Ignoring those who don't use the procedures; and
• Praising those using procedures correctly.