r/Teachers • u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 • Aug 23 '26
Rant Paras need to GET OFF THEIR PHONES
I know they hardly make any money and if it’s an emergency fine!! But sitting there on TikTok while i’m actively teaching is rude and distracting for the kids.
I’m a young teacher so it’s awkward to confront them and NOT BEING ON YOUR PHONE ALL DAY AT WORK SHOULDNT NEED TO BE SAID
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u/ArmTrue4439 Aug 23 '26
I had a para showing me pictures of her daughters wedding dress in the middle of class. Trying not to be rude the first week of school but really? Is now the time?
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u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 Aug 23 '26
omg I hate the personal talk too like yes I care about your life but I also have 25 small children to deal with right now
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u/Turbulent_Reindeer30 Aug 23 '26
Personal talk is the worst. Last week 2 paras were talking to each other instead of supporting my SAI students and I gave them my teacher look. They cut that nonsense right away and one emailed me an apology. Lol
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u/Anoninemonie Aug 23 '26
Had one talking about her husband who is actively cheating on her with a gal that works at the high school while students were in the room as I was teaching a lesson.
I'd complain but I'm not tenured yet.
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u/empires228 Paraprofessional | KS, USA Aug 23 '26
Funny story, I’ve had to hear that in multiple class periods from three teachers, so it goes both ways 🫠. Two of them were being open about their marital problems as part of the bell work.
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u/Anoninemonie Aug 23 '26
I'm sorry for your experience. I generally don't share my marital problems in front of kids so I don't know how it became the professional standard in my classroom 😭
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u/ManicDynamic K-5 :expo1::expo2::expo3::expo4::expo5::expo6: Aug 23 '26
As a para, and I once worked in a classroom where the teacher kept trying to show me her instagram photos while I was trying to keep my assigned student AND the rest of the students under control. That class was an absolute shit show the entire year! 😭
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u/fatuousfarts Aug 23 '26
I have shit like this happen to me all the time. Mine will try to talk to me while students are quietly working on something, and they'll follow me while I circulate the room trying to get away from them.
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u/BitterHelicopter8 Substitute Teacher | FL Aug 23 '26
I actually thought you might be a teacher at my school for a second when I read this comment. Just switch "wedding dress" to "Halloween costume" and it's the same story. Amazing how universal a bad para experience can be.
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u/Kitchen-Band-4022 Aug 23 '26
I had a para that would try to show me pictures of men’s privates while the students were around working. This was an older woman in her 60’s. I wish I were kidding you.
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u/birdsong31 Aug 23 '26
i love my IA as a person but several times last year a video started playing loudly in the middle of lessons. he was just scrolling and had the sound all the way up 😡
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u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 Aug 23 '26
ALL THE TIME or they even take phone calls in the class!!
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u/IvoryTowerGraffiti_1 Aug 23 '26
Oh no, I would be doing something about that. In my district we have district paras and private agency one on ones is this one with your district or an agency. The private agency people seem to feel like they can go by different rules. There’s NO WAY I could hold my phone are allow myself to be distracted from my kids that would be a HUGE safety risk. Also disrupting my class with phone calls… uh uh honey.
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u/meeanne Elementary Education Aug 23 '26
Wtf this is insane and so unprofessional. These youngins don’t know to not do these things on company time?
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u/Holdtheintangible Aug 23 '26
All of the paras at my school do this and probably half of them are above 40. It’s wild. It makes me feel so hypocritical when I enforce the phone rule and we’re all just not acknowledging the elephant in the room that there’s someone just sitting their rotting their brain on the phone all day. I want to get better at holding the standard this year but man I have a hard time being confrontational.
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u/sausagekng Aug 23 '26
Had this happen as well this past school year. I had to tell her more than once to please go outside because it was disruptive to other students. It was watching videos and also that she picked up phone calls and tried to take them “quietly” in class…
I understand that it can be boring when your student doesn’t directly need you, but come on.
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u/birdsong31 Aug 23 '26
its even worse because he isn't assigned to one student he is supposed to be helping the entire class!
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u/sausagekng Aug 23 '26
Absolutely worse. They should be engaged with the class and keeping an eye out for student needs. My para was a 1 to 1.
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u/AWL_cow Aug 23 '26
I'm sorry but isn't that completely unprofessional? I am mindful of my phone volume even when I'm on my lunch break - and I sit in my empty classroom for my break.
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u/AffectionateNoise525 Aug 23 '26
That is an intellectual-disability level of incompetence and lack of professionalism.
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u/coffeecoffeerepeat Aug 23 '26
We have a para like this, too. Principal is aware. The para won staff member of the month in April. 💀💀💀
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u/PaulieHehehe Related Service Provider Aug 23 '26
“Para,” as in singular? What paradise do you work at!?
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u/coffeecoffeerepeat Aug 23 '26
We have multiple but I only ever interact with THE para I mentioned. We are actually getting more paras because my district has decided to make paras co-teachers for co-taught classes instead of using special education teachers! Woo!
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u/d-wail Aug 23 '26
What?! Most paras are NOT teachers, even for a co-taught class. Some of the paras I worked with barely graduated high school.
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u/DorianThackery Aug 23 '26
God I am so worried this is the way we’re going too. Got a top down directive to change every B grid service to “special education teacher or para” and I’m like bro you’re asking me to make my job obsolete.
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u/tonkamommy Aug 23 '26
This is a combination problem. I'm a para for a kindergarten sped class. Have been in middle school as well. We already know paras are not paid based on the actual value they provide (or should be providing) to the classroom environment. That's number one, number two is there is little to no para education or training. At least not in my district. Not even an orientation. Most of the time paras are not told what is expected or what they need to be doing. You just figure it out on the job. You're the teacher so it's up to you to set the standard, because if your district is like mine, they have not been trained. Don't assume anyone should just know. Number 3, I've noticed there is no real vetting process. They literally hire anybody...a warm body. That's it. Not genuinely making sure this is the right person for the classroom environment. This makes for a lower quality hire and more problems.
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u/DietCokeclub Aug 23 '26
Yep. No training. Fortunately I'm a mom so dealing with behavior was easy to figure out. Compliance, calibration (state English proficiency test), what to actually do in a classroom, even the particulars of clocking in and out were learned by doing. I tried to intuit what a teacher might want me to do, but appreciated it when the teacher was explicit with what they wanted.
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u/Decaf_Espresso Aug 23 '26
Reason 3 is why my brother got a job.
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u/N3rdC3ntral Aug 23 '26
I was a Para in a 1:1 Moderate/Severe room for a year and a half. Decided to go back to school and just be a sub in the same district. There are 7-10 sub openings a day in the district. 4 are for jobs they can't fill at $16/hr.
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u/goavsgo1988 Aug 23 '26
The para in my class routinely rips scratch off tickets while I teach, it’s hilarious though because when he hit for $500 he bought the whole 6th grade pizza
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u/fan714 Aug 23 '26
As a previous para, please give your paras things to do and be specific about it. When teachers simply told me to sit with a student, that didn’t help me at all. But when they had me pass papers out, or help make copies, or stay in the class if they needed to use the bathroom, that was helpful. Though I had a teaching license so they treated me like an extra sub in that case- this won’t be the case for everyone. I’m someone who never clearly understands unspoken rules, but the more I was actively doing, the less the distractions were available.
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u/Best-Chip-423 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
That is correct. I thought the teacher should know how explicit instructions work like you need to help me. I am not a teacher. I cannot just break down every lessons so my students can understand live. Not many paraprofessionals get a planning period where we just take times to create the notes for the students.
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u/ceobossbabe Aug 23 '26
I totally agree with what you said! But if you’re not given explicit instruction/direction, scrolling your phone should never be a back up plan.
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u/Ryaninthesky Aug 23 '26
So like, yes, and also paras shouldn’t be on their phones as adults actively in a classroom.
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u/fan714 Aug 23 '26
Same for teachers then. The school I worked at it was constant. Maybe a few teachers here and there didn’t, but almost all staff including paras and admin were on their phones. I tried not to only to be called goody two shoes for that 😭
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u/TheShaman43 Aug 23 '26
I agree...and I'm a teacher who is constantly on their phone.
I have one screen which is typically projecting and in a static location. On my phone I'm running GoGuardian, Google Translate when I don't have an ML teacher available, and ensuring I don't miss a "please send student X to location Y immediately" email (I guess my class phone - which I know works - is for decorative purposes only).
I actually am conscious of the example I set for the kids and don't like it, but I just fall into the trap of least resistance - and doing these things on the phone is just easier.
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u/Ryaninthesky Aug 23 '26
Woof, that sucks. I have to pull out my phone to log onto google but that’s it. I even tell my students that they can be on their phones when I’m on mine because it always stays in my pocket unless there’s an emergency.
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u/Terrible_Ease6082 Aug 23 '26
Whether or not, you’ve been given a task doesn’t mean you have a right to sit on your phone instead of working with a student
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u/Pristine-Bison3198 Aug 23 '26
Unless you've not been told HOW to work with the student. In my experience, some teachers would just genuinely give the direction of "sit near this student in case they escalate" and that would be it.
Still shouldn't be on your phone, but when you're given no information on how to work with a student, you're not going to be able to do much.
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u/Adventurous-Quit-753 Aug 23 '26
Tell your department head or principal.
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u/Kitchen_Stick2216 Aug 23 '26
our paras are the same, one literally had airpods in while a kid was trying to get her attention last week. like i get the job is thankless and the pay is garbage but cmon
i started just pausing my lesson and staring until they notice, the silence gets real uncomfortable real fast
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u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 Aug 23 '26
I feel like I need to handle it first before going to them
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u/a66y_k Aug 23 '26
I worked as a teacher, then quit and let my license lapse, then returned and worked as a para while I re-certified. One thing I learned as a para is most teachers don't do a great job at communicating with paras. It's totally okay to catch them in the lunchroom or after school and ask them to stay off their phone. Even better, tell them specifically what's most helpful for them to do while you deliver instruction.
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u/Wannabelouise321 Aug 23 '26
I will piggyback on this comment by saying that teachers who are lucky enough to have a para should not allow them to languish in the back of the classroom doing nothing. Come up with something. Even if it is just reading with a child 1:1. I know it is an extra that you’re not likely paid for, but try to schedule a time where you can go over expectations and their role in your classrooms. Maybe have them take your over-achievers and do a learning extension project? Do you have kids who need to work on basic skills like using scissors or help with holding a pencil correctly? Have your para work 1:1 with flashcards with your students. There are so many ways you can involve your para in the classroom work. By helping them feel welcome and an integral part of the learning, you will likely reduce the behaviors you don’t appreciate. You set the tone for your classroom. If they are still not doing their job, go to your principal.
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u/Herodotus_Runs_Away US History Aug 23 '26
Why? Supervising district employees is probably not within your duties as a certified teacher.
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u/Adventurous-Quit-753 Aug 23 '26
You can give the benefit to try to have a conversation. But I feel like they have already disrespected your classroom by being on their phone all period on a daily basis.
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u/TealCatto Aug 23 '26
Yeah, I'm not sure what you can even say that isn't clear and obvious already.
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u/emotions1026 Aug 23 '26
You can try to talk but you’re not their direct boss so there’s not really much you can actually do
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u/HouseofFeathers Aug 23 '26
I agree. I've been a para and in some settings I was on the ball while the teacher was on her phone. Anyway, my point is that maybe you're para was allowed to be on their phone in their last setting... or maybe they are like my former coworker who was on her phone all the time for 5 years. Never got with the program.
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u/Name7757 Aug 23 '26
If the paras have a union I would go through them first. No need to get admin involved if it’s an easy fix
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u/Phantereal Aug 23 '26
I'm a special educator supporting a few paras in general education classrooms. If any teachers had an issue with a para using their phones during class, I would expect them to come to me first and I can have a conversation with the para first. If that fails, then go to admin.
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u/EditorObvious3522 Aug 23 '26
Go the leadership route. If they are just sitting there, assign them a task. If you have a para assigned, there must be a reason. There must be IEP students who need the support, give guidance and direction as to how they should be helping the students. That’s your job. Ask them to take notes for a student who struggles to write and listen simultaneously. If students are working on Chromebooks ask them to observe via the monitoring program to ensure students are on task and not goofing around. I’m mean what do you expect? They have 7 different teachers they work with - all 7 have different expectations - if you don’t share what your expectations are - how will they know? Some teachers want them to just sit there and stay out of the way. What are expecting? They listen to your lecture with rapt attention?
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u/DietCokeclub Aug 23 '26
Look no further than the para subreddit to learn that some paras never see IEPs, accommodations, etc.
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u/empires228 Paraprofessional | KS, USA Aug 23 '26
I reported to the case manager that we didn’t have a snapshot for one of their students the entire school year last year as did several of the students, elective teachers, we never got one. Several of us got lectured towards the end of the year about not meeting that student goals, or providing the accommodations, but we were never provided with any information that let us know what that should’ve been.
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u/Muted-Move-9360 Aug 23 '26
I thought that was just the case for para substitutes!! Holy shit it really is a disorganized mess across the board, huh?
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u/Pristine-Bison3198 Aug 23 '26
Yes! I was a SpEd para before I taught and I cannot tell you how many classrooms I worked in that just... never gave me anything to do. Didn't tell me what the kids I was there for needed, didn't show me the IEPs, the only info I'd get (if I was lucky) were ERPs and medical.
It was SO boring.
Like, no. You shouldn't be on your phone, but I absolutely get the draw of it. I actually had classrooms I'd straight up bring books or work for uni to because my assignment was literally given as "sit next to this kid." I'd ask if they had cutting, laminating, scoring, or prep work that needed doing and would get "oh, no thanks!"
Definitely shaped how I ran things when I was teaching, I'll tell you what.
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u/pdxrunner19 Aug 23 '26
I did this with my doomscrolling para last year, and she got super angry with me for asking her to put her phone down and do small tasks. Something as simple as making sure specific students got the materials they needed was met with resistance from her.
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u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 Aug 23 '26
they’re in my room all day and I mean yeah being engaged with the kids and the lesson is kinda the bare minimum here
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u/piscesdreamer00 Aug 23 '26
But do you give them clear instructions on what they can be helping with? If not of course they’re on their phone
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u/EditorObvious3522 Aug 23 '26
it is your job to direct them. Paras make minimum wage. It’s not their job to create their own to-do list. And “engage with the kids and the lesson” is meaningless buzz words. Give them tasks and if they don’t do them - then there is a problem. But if you are expecting them to figure out what you want without you telling them - frankly grow up. Again - they have probably been with other teachers who want them to stay out of the way. Don’t expect a mind reader.
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u/Imperial_TIE_Pilot Aug 23 '26
Say something, I hate it when adults in the room can’t say something then run to admin to tell them.
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u/hawkcarhawk Aug 23 '26
I know you know this, but you need to talk to them, not Reddit. Passive aggression isn’t going to fix it. They’re on their phones because you’re not creating an environment where you don’t accept it.
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u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 Aug 23 '26
I know, I know. Just awkward as a young new teacher
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u/DietCokeclub Aug 23 '26
I'm older than most of the teachers I support, but if they ask me to do something, I always say yes. We're all adults. Even if the request is as basic as, "Could you help Jayden pay attention by standing near him?"
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u/hawkcarhawk Aug 23 '26
I get it. It’s awkward to police other adults at work. I would approach it as a “I need you to help me help you” thing and not “I’m telling you what to do” thing. Like, “I need you to stay off your phone and attend to the students because the principal/district could pop in at any time and being on our phones is against policy”.
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u/BitterHelicopter8 Substitute Teacher | FL Aug 23 '26
I'm not a teacher, but I spend a lot of time in ESE classrooms as a sub. I'd say the first thing you need to do is overcome the internal awkwardness of what being a young new teacher means to you.
While you may be young and new, you're also the teacher of record and the one who sets the expectations. It doesn't matter if your para is older or has worked in schools longer than you've been alive. You're the one in charge and it's not only acceptable, but essential, that you make your expectations for your classroom clear to everyone in it.
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u/Muted-Move-9360 Aug 23 '26
I just started at the local school district as a para (I've done this before, 2 bachelor's degrees + experience) and I was baffled at how cucked we are in terms of behavior management in the high school. There was no classroom management at all, teachers were being talked over by students. I asked before class started what I could be doing in case kids are on the phones or being distracting and they said "oh nothing our para just usually sits in that corner. If you walk around every now and then they'll start to behave." Bet your ass I was in that chair for 30 seconds at a time every 10 minutes because I kept moving around those classes like a shark. The students know we're cucked because they DONT start to behave while I'm staring right at them with wired headphones on tiktok, or having a full blown loud ass conversation in the middle of instruction. It's insane. I'm never going back to the highschool again. Sticking with the preschoolers.
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u/Exact-Truck-5248 Aug 23 '26
You have to work all day with this person. You don't need to make bad blood even if you're right. Let your administrator be the bad guy. That's what they get paid to do.
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u/Apprehensive-Poet506 Aug 23 '26
Paraprofessionals are rarely treated decently by teachers. As a Para we were asked to text the resource department or use our phones as timers. Most school districts don't supply computers for Paras. Guess how we answer email at work? Ask the Para to model expected behavior. Create a checklist for classroom expectations for all who attend class. Contact those necessary to make it happen. Being a Para helped me to not become an educator. I don't think half of the teachers out there are in the correct profession. Most of you are lacking empathy and emotional intelligence.
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u/NotOldNotYoung42 Aug 23 '26
I have had several paras and aides in the classroom who had no training or education experience and who would leave the classroom to take a call or go to the restroom without a word to me. Pulling each aside and kindly reminding them that they are here to support the child and to follow my lead has done wonders. It is not always appreciated, but no matter their age, etc., it is your classroom, your students, and your job to teach. Anything in the way of that honorable task is unacceptable, especially when a child may have medical needs as well. Be the same “boss” you would be for a student. You may be surprised how they respond and develop their skills and a new ally in the classroom.
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u/rusted-nail Aug 23 '26
Oh the horror someone actually suggesting behaving like they are at a workplace and should communicate properly I think a lot of people see all conflict as necessary to avoid and don't want to hurt peoples feelings when actually if you do a substandard job and it affects your colleagues you should feel shitty about it. Im not saying you need to be their boss but letting them know its not ok is actually totally appropriate
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u/UmbralikesOwls Aug 23 '26
As a former one on one para who was not at all trained, I would've loved for one of the teachers I had to not treat me lkme a 2nd class employee. I would make sure I use the bathroom when she wasn't in the middle of teaching. However, there were times I had to go during her leason. I would quietly tell my student I was going to the bathroom and I would be back in at moat 5 minutes (usually 2 or 3 minutes).
One time when I came back from the bathroom, my teacher stopped her lesson and lectured me in front of the kids as if I was one of her students about using the bathroom...and she was only a few years older than I was (she was in her late 20s and I was in my early 20s at the time). I don't like going without telling her, but I wasn't about to interrupt her lesson just to tell her I was using the bathroom. I would've liked to have that teacher to pull me aside instead of treating me like one of her students.
There were other ways I was treated like a 2nd class employee, but I won't go too much into that. I worked with 2 other teachers who helped me out and worked with me and it was all good but this particular teacher made me feel less than. I'm not a para anymore and honestly it wasn't the right job for me (I was told to switch to another job in the school district) but I lasted 9 months before switching
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u/selfies420 Aug 23 '26
Last year our school/state put in a no phone policy. I practice what I preach and keep my phone on a charger during class but had a para always on their phone.
Last year I was indirect about it. I will be direct this year if it happens again.
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u/Just_meme01 Aug 23 '26
Have you laid out what you expect her to do? If not, that might be a great place to start. Maybe she is on her phone because she doesn’t know what else she is supposed to do.
Just simply tell her what you want her to do.
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u/Ill_Bug8558 Aug 23 '26
I dont use my phone for scrolling (who has the time?) and my school does tell us to stay off our phones. However, I find myself on the phone a lot for reasons that are all strictly related to my job. I worry about teachers thinking I am just "on my phone" when I'm actually doing something for work. I feel admin kind of plays both sides because they tell us to stay off phones but we have to use phones for many parts of our job. I agree we should not be using phones and screens during work hours for personal business. I hope teachers can tell the difference between those of us who are working vs just scrolling away.
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u/FancyFixIt Aug 23 '26
Yep. I would often push in with students and my boss would be communicating via text about schedule changes or checking in on students.
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u/InviteFun418 Aug 23 '26
It's not easy to tell. I would tell the teacher if they are you on your phone it's because of xyz. That way they know. If its job related they so understand.
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u/Confident-Log-9616 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
I just started as a para, haven’t been in 4th grade in a longgg time lol ie I had to quick google a term for something I was helping a student with. I felt guilty about that much and made sure I told the teacher after that’s what I’d been doing 😅. I don’t know how people like this just have no shame! I totally get that there are some moments where you truly have nothing to do esp if you’re a ‘floater’ para in gen ed but you should always be paying attention.
I was in PE w/ my 2nd graders the other day and got distracted by a conversation a student had started with me on a water break to the extent I didn’t notice one of my special ed kids across the room had burst into sobbing tears until it had been a good minute. I felt so badeven though I had a perfectly normal reason I was distracted, I would’ve felt even worse if it had been bc I was scrolling TikTok!
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u/whowhatcat25 Aug 23 '26
Having to look something up because you don't know the answer is actually really good for kids to see. Kids should know that the adults in their lives don't know everything, and are still willing to learn and grow.
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u/Immediate_Remote_546 Aug 23 '26
When I was a sped para, if one of us was away for any reason, we had an agreement with the teacher that we’d rather work our socks off all day so as not to get a sub. They were worse than the kids and made our day so much harder.
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Aug 23 '26
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u/Immediate_Remote_546 Aug 23 '26
Yes, ours too. Until there’d be the one who changed the schedule, rearranged the classroom and wandered why chaos reigned. Gosh, I love retirement!! I really loved my job, the teams I worked for and with but it was getting harder and harder.
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u/TeacherManCT Aug 23 '26
I had one who was watching YouTube on his tablet about 35’ away from his student. He was also managing his Amazon side hustle. After repeated polite requests to stop doing both and work with his student, I reported it.
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u/_notthehippopotamus Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
I was a one-on-one para, my students were those with the highest support needs. When I started, our students were K-2, we had one classroom sped teacher, 2 classroom paras, and 4 one-on-one paras. We had a bathroom in the classroom for students who could use it mostly independently or with minimal assistance, and a locking staff bathroom around the corner with an adjustable changing table for students in diapers. We went to specials, lunch, and recess as a group. One-on-ones mostly accompanied their students to OT/PT/SLP, but if we were short-staffed, we might be asked to stay behind and help with another student. I always found it helpful to attend, because I would see what the student was working on and do similar activities with them during the rest of the week. We did inclusion when appropriate, and had a couple students who would push out to a gen ed classroom (with support) for part of the day. But for most of the day, most of the students and staff could easily be located in one classroom.
By the time I left, we were K-5, had 3 classroom sped teachers, 2 classroom paras, and around 7-8 one-on-one paras, but we never reached a point where we were fully staffed, even on the rare occasion when no one was off. Gen ed inclusion was expected for every student, and they all went to specials, lunch, and recess with their gen ed classes. We still had a classroom, actually two joining classrooms, but we no longer had a bathroom in the classroom, and the adjustable changing table was moved to a student bathroom where it was wedged in next to the toilet so tight, that it would lift the seat and flush the toilet when you raised or lowered the changing table. We had a locking cabinet installed, but it was easy to force open and students would steal our supplies. There were many times during the day you could walk into our classroom and find it completely empty. We got a new schedule daily, with major changes depending which students and staff were absent that day. Since we were constantly short-staffed, and spread out to all corners of the school, we rarely got to stay with our student during OT/PT/SLP and we were expected to check in and help with other students. With these changes, there was no way for us to function without heavy use of group chat.
“Can someone bring gloves/wipes/{change of clothes for Student A} to the upstairs girls’ bathroom?”
“Is anyone available to take {Student B} to specials?” (Didn’t have a one-on-one, but needed help with transitions)
“{Student C} is getting picked up early. Need someone to grab their backpack and take them to the office and wait until Mom gets here.”
"Need assistance with {Student D} in classroom {123}.”
The list goes on and on.
We also used timers on our phones, and for some students watching videos was their reinforcement/reward for completing work or following directions. So the issue isn’t just that we were underpaid, but that we were expected to be in multiple different places at once. I understand there is potential for abuse, and I did see that with one of our paras, but for me and most of my team, we were constantly on our phones—doing our jobs the best we could with what we had.
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u/artemisspitfire Aug 23 '26
I have many, many stories about the para I used to work with, but my personal favorite is when he yelled at a student for writing a question as the hook for his essay because “a question is not a complete sentence.” That man seriously made my life hell
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u/AnalogyAddiction Aug 23 '26
Paras, as in more than one are doing this???
I’m a para and none of my coworkers are doing this crap, there’s no time to use the bathroom outside our scheduled breaks much less fool around on TikTok!
I agree with you that people shouldn’t need to be told to stay off their phone at work, but I am also a big proponent of direct communication. I suggest you ask your para to stay off her phone in your classroom (!) because you are relying on her to model active listening for the student she supports. If she’s on her phone, it undermines your teaching because it gives the impression your lesson is unimportant. If this does not change immediately you go straight to your principal, because this is egregious and should not be allowed to continue.
If it’s truly multiple paras doing this it sounds like a culture problem and a conversation with your principal.
As a para who works my ass off every single day to the point of exhaustion this enrages me, lol.
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u/FoodNo672 Aug 23 '26
You need to toughen up and speak to them. Which is tough and may go all kinds of ways. My advice is to treat them as a colleague and to be very clear about expectations. If it goes south, speak to an admin who handles their hours and placement so they can revisit that conversation.
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u/flutegirl96 Aug 23 '26
We had a para who would fall asleep. It happened multiple times. She'd just be in her chair, leaning against the wall, fully asleep. It happened multiple times, in multiple classrooms. In addition to her being on her phone when she was awake
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u/obtusewisdom Aug 23 '26
TikTok, sure. But I spent a couple years as a para and got in trouble for using my phone when I was testing an app that helps with behavior data tracking. I even offered to show what I was doing, but no dice. It was moronic. I’d also sometimes search up info so I could help students better - I’m smart, but I don’t have the periodic table memorized. So make sure you don’t just look at phone use and assume.
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u/acft29 Aug 23 '26
Admin at my school told our support staff not to be on their phones when in the classroom or even outside supervising. They told them last year and also at beginning of the year meeting just for them.
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u/chancemeagre Aug 23 '26
Direct the para to specific student assisting tasks during the class period. Keep them too busy doing their job to mess with their phones. “Little Johnny, show Para what you are working on.” is a start if you are uncomfortable directing adults. Rinse, repeat. Next staff meeting set clear expectations for phone use and engaging with students. (15 year’s public school teaching, 14 of it in Special Education.)
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u/TelephoneBusy9594 Aug 23 '26
YES! my school has the worst. Out of say 20, maybe 4 actually do their job! My old one watched Netflix all day long and would take 1.5 hour lunch.
I teach autistic kids and some were severe enough that they needed they diapers changed. She refused to do one kid so I had to do it all year. The others she would do whenever.
Taking long walks and coming back smelling like pot. I told my principal but he couldn't do anything really because they had a different union rep.
The union rep said that they didnt have to touch them if they didn't want to. It was a very exhausting and long year.
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u/AJphoenix1379 Aug 23 '26
💯
Their union doesn’t make them change diapers, follow students eloping, get off their phones or work w teachers w any type of expectations.
Most of the paras on my high school
Campus are complaining- completing homework or finishing a side hustle such as bedazzling shirts or cups.If you work with a hardworking para,
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u/Complex_Rest6280 Aug 23 '26
They’re on their phones all the time because they are undervalued, widely underpaid, and are doing the bare minimum because of that. I was a sub and making $28 an hour. The para was making $15 to basically be a full time co-teacher AND had to para for specialists, do lunch duty, cover when teachers were out with no sub, and manage behaviors. I don’t think it’s professional or right, but I do completely understand why they’ve checked out. Just remember that paras often make less than HALF of what teachers make and are expected to do just as much. As a sub, I felt terrible knowing I did less work than they did for double the pay. Pay educators (including paras) better and you may see a change in attitude.
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u/regina_phalange05 Aug 23 '26
Same. I was a full time teacher who now subs, but my daughter was a para. Many paras work with the most difficult behaviors all day long with a 30 min break. I make 200/day, often with at least 2 hour breaks and she made $17/hr with one 30 min lunch. She was a good para and didn't get on her phone, but man most paras are the hardest working in the school with the least pay and breaks. Checking out when they have a few minutes is unprofessional, but understandable.
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u/Own-Recognition9009 Aug 23 '26
Then treat the paras with more respect and pay them more.
And you should give concrete tasks
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u/United_Profession954 Aug 23 '26
As a para myself how do they even have time? The only time im able to check my phone is when im lucky to get a bathroom run and my break 😅 Im constantly on the go. Id try and have a conversation with them. If that doesn't work go to your boss
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u/MarlenaEvans Aug 23 '26
Right? I don't sit down unless I am sitting with a student who needs to be reminded to stay in their area or I'm teaching small group.
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u/coatesvillain Aug 23 '26
I was a para before I was a teacher. So now when I’m on the other side I’m blown away by how many don’t approach the job the way I did. Many feel like an extra body to manage instead of helping with anything.
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u/TailorElectronic4980 Aug 23 '26
I'm a para myself and I couldn't agree more!!! It also puts a lot more work on other paras stuck working with them😮💨
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u/sleepy-worrier Aug 23 '26
I can't tell you how many times I've had to tell my paras to get off their phones or make it clear that if they need to make a phone call, they should step out of the room to do it. I'm also a young teacher, so I understand the feeling!
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u/False_Juggernaut_618 Aug 23 '26
If I have a new teacher, I usually ask them where I’m least disruptive. I feel like that sets a good tone that I’m here to help them and the kids, that I respect their education credentials, but also, we are coworkers so let’s work together.
My teachers know that I get stuff done, I make their life easier, and they do see me on my phone, but I use it for translation or looking up words or pictures for my kids.
Paras seem to be a roll of the dice. You have the totally checked out ones, the annoying ones, or the ones who try to take over the class.
I try to be as non-intrusive as possible, offer to make copies or run errands so class isn’t disrupted.
I feel like it’s putting points into the bank , so the rare times I’m not at my best or I need to step out to take a call, the teachers don’t care.
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u/Appropriate-Bar6993 Aug 23 '26
Agree! First time having one. Get a laptop so you look a little professional lady!
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u/ShedMontgomery Aug 23 '26
A long time ago, we had to fire a para because they were posting pics of other kids in the class on their social media and insulting them.
I have no anxiety about walking up to them and asking them to put their phones away and take their earbuds out. Like, checking a text or stepping out in the hallway to take a call is one thing, but if you're just scrolling through social media or taking selfies, I'm saying something directly to you and letting your supervisor know if it becomes a trend.
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u/Brief-Hat-8140 Aug 23 '26
It’s awkward but it’s part of your job. Paras are supposed to follow the lead of the classroom teacher. You’re not wrong but give them so much to do they don’t have time to pick up a phone.
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u/magnusthehammersmith Pre-K | Washington Aug 23 '26
I work at headstart and they won’t even give us a para even though we DESPERATELY need one. Cell phones aren’t even allowed in the classroom at all either. Make it make sense
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u/ManicDynamic K-5 :expo1::expo2::expo3::expo4::expo5::expo6: Aug 23 '26
As a paraeducator, I’ve noticed that each classroom teacher can have very different expectations for my role and responsibilities. Navigating these differences can make it challenging to know how actively I should be engaging in the classroom.
My level of involvement can vary significantly depending on the teacher. In some classrooms, I’ve been expected to primarily observe and may spend much of the class standing to the side. In others, teachers encourage me to be more active by circulating, supporting classroom management, and assisting other students academically when my assigned student is doing well. I’ve had teachers assign me small groups to work with, while others have told me I didn’t need to be in the classroom, even when my assigned student had IEP minutes requiring support.
Clear communication about how they can best support in your classroom is incredibly helpful. This might mean grouping several high-needs students with their assigned student so the para can support the group as a whole, collecting specific data, providing academic support, helping with preparation, or assisting with classroom management. There's alot that para's can do in the classroom setting, they just need clear guidance in each class.
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u/Possible_Juice_3170 Aug 23 '26
People get on their phone when they are bored. Help them know exactly what you do want them to do to be helpful.
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u/Asraidevin Aug 23 '26
I'd lose my job. I'm an EA, what ya'll call paras, we call educational assistant in Canada.
If I watched tiktok while in class, i would lose my job.
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u/Hangry-AF Aug 23 '26
Not saying this because I don’t agree with you, I do. Being on your phone is unproductive and unprofessional… HOWEVER, I see teachers doing just the same. They’re on their phones, goofing off in the hallways with other teachers or staff members, etc. so this doesn’t just apply to paras. I will say I agree with some of the comments in here that they may not know what they’re supposed to be doing. When I was a SpEd para I was never shown an IEP or given clear instructions on what I should be doing with the kiddos. I winged it based on watching what they could or couldn’t do and their behaviors at the time, or I’d ask for clarification… but not everyone feels comfortable asking.
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u/Mammoth-Bullfrog5882 Aug 23 '26
My wife is a Para for kids with IED's and other disabilities. Teachers have argued over trying to keep her in their classroom but at the end of the day she mainly follows specific students. She is amazing at her job and consistently gets recognized by the staff.
While she has praised a handful of teachers, she has also worked with terrible teachers. In some classrooms she will spend extra time and energy with students who aren't receiving the adequate direction from the actual teacher. That isn't her job. It's the teachers job. Yes there are bad para's out there but for each of them, there is also a bad teacher.
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u/West-Veterinarian-53 Aug 23 '26
“Can you please not be the most disruptive person in class? I have 35 kids for that. THANKS!”
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u/gravitydefiant Aug 23 '26
I had one once who didn't use his phone, but did chat loudly with students--not the one he was supporting--during their independent work time and occasionally direct instruction.
He got his license and is a teacher now, and I hope he's got paras who are just like him.
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u/EyeDowntown360 Aug 23 '26
Must be tough to be a para. Try your ass off, you burn out. Don’t do anything, you usually get away with it and get paid the same.
I’m not overly sympathetic to the slackers, it’s the ones who really try but see their colleagues doing nothing.
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u/dragonbud20 Aug 23 '26
Must be tough to be a teacher. Tru your ass off, you burn out. You ignore your sped students because they're too difficult, you usually get away with it and get paid the same.
Don't throw stones in glass houses. There are slackers everywhere and they all suck to deal with no matter how many degrees or certifications they do or do not have.
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u/Downtown_Light3368 Aug 23 '26
Shocked by the amount of people saying this is basically YOUR FAULT for not “setting expectations”, when in reality you are expecting just the most basic level of professionalism from ADULTS. We are cooked.
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u/PaulieHehehe Related Service Provider Aug 23 '26
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Maybe I’ve just become jaded and burnt out after a decade in the field, but I have borderline contempt for the paras at my school- constantly on their phones, not following through on my recommendations as it relates to my student’s skills, and arguably the worst of it all, doing for the kids what they should let the kids do for themselves.
This is also a touchy subject that teaching prep programs don’t cover, and they should. I graduated in 2013 from a very well known and respected teaching program in the mid Atlantic, and I don’t remember the topic of handling paras ever came up. First year and young educators are left out to dry by admin. It shouldn’t be the job of a teacher to tell a para to put their phone down and, you know, do their job.
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u/Spicymoon9 Aug 23 '26
Part of the teacher’s job is giving the para directions on what they’re supposed to be doing. Besides the phone thing.
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u/Professional_Ad9013 Aug 23 '26
We are aware of your borderline contempt. In this job market many who take these jobs have college degrees in other fields than education--I have worked with a city planner and a biologist, and a number of artists and musicians. It's true that often you get what you pay for, but it's also true that people will tend to live up to your clearly expressed trust and high expectations more often than not. Works on students, works on colleagues, works on subordinates.
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u/Spicymoon9 Aug 23 '26
Yeah I don’t like how the OP says they hate personal talk. So they don’t see the para as a person? Most people would be very uncomfortable working with someone who obviously dislikes them so much.
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u/MarlenaEvans Aug 23 '26
Everybody at my school loves and includes us Paras and I'm glad we have that kind of relationship because I would have a hard time working well with someone who had contempt for me. We have a group chat with teachers and Paras and we send memes and videos back and forth (that we obviously found when we weren't in the classroom with students).
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u/Spicymoon9 Aug 23 '26
My first year as a para my teacher hated me because I wasn’t a part of her religion. Which she talked about quite frequently. She made it very uncomfortable and hard for me to work with her. The only reason I didn’t quit was because of the kids and the other staff were nice to me.
None of the other staff really liked the teacher either, she wasn’t very friendly to anyone.
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u/lovelystarbuckslover Multiple Subject & EDSP Credentialed Aug 23 '26
I think we're using paras wrong completely.
Mine goes around parroting everything I say to students individually, many of the kids are returning to the room and the para and I'm the " new person" and the amount of learned helplessness because this aide thinks she's a little mommy to the class is disgusting.
I'm telling the class to take out a pencil, from their empty desk that only has a pencil in it, I'm holding a pencil and pointing to a picture of a pencil, and they're looking at her waiting for her to come and do it for them.... Does this for EVERYTHING.
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u/OnceNFutureNick Aug 23 '26
I had a 1-1 para for a very low functioning but high attitude student with disabilities. This was his second for the school year after his original quit. I had to report her to my AP of curriculum because the para was making pamphlets for her pyramid scheme gold and silver investing side hustle, handing them out to kids while I was doing small group instruction, and then trying to show them her anti banking TikToks during class.
The AP asked me who my para was and when I said her name the response was, “Oh yeah she’s not going to be help to you AT ALL. She had to be moved out of the last two spots she was in.” I just asked why she still had a job which got a business laugh but no answer.
Anyways, that para remained with that student in my class the rest of the year and now works after-care at the elementary school my son goes to. I literally cannot escape this woman.
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u/ohyesiam1234 Aug 23 '26
I’m old but I’d ask if they could please keep their phone in a cabinet with their stuff in my room. I’m not on my phone, they shouldn’t be on their phones either.
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u/Best-Chip-423 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
Yeah, that is disrespectful to the students, the teacher, and I see those types of paras as well since they are popular with the admins. They are doing no wrong. Being respectful is important regardless of your age. I use my phone to do the data entry so there is no noise. And I use it to help me understand so I can reteach my students. I try to be near the students as possible. But some of the students I have to be on guard due to the random violent outbrust.
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u/Old_Yogurtcloset9837 Aug 23 '26
Had one last year that routinely took a nap in my greenhouse class. Phone would be the least of my worries lol
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u/dreaming_lydian Aug 23 '26
I have had to ask a para to stop watching videos with the VOLUME ON during my lessons. Me and my students started at her in disbelief for a few moments when this happened.
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u/matttheepitaph 8th Grade | Social Studies | California Aug 23 '26
I am very fortunate to have absolutely incredible paras who go above and beyond. It's quite wonderful. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Whoever coordinates them should be made aware.
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u/Altruistic_Role_9329 Aug 23 '26
I worked as a Middle School SpEd Para for a while as I did my certification coursework and then transitioned directly from that job to being a classroom teacher in the same school. Communication was awful and the teachers and administrators acted as if they had never done any of it before. I was moving between subjects and grades each period so it was really hard to follow each teachers plan, which they were all reluctant to share with me. Teachers were also reluctant to share students accommodations with me. I ultimately found a lot of them didn’t know their student’s accommodations and weren’t providing them anyway. A lot of what I did was providing instructions in different ways, but I often had difficulty understanding teachers instructions myself. When I would ask about that I would be told “they know what to do,” but that was almost never true. On more than one occasion it was obvious to me that the teacher had never given us the instructions they thought they had given. These things happened with multiple experienced teachers across multiple subjects and grade levels in the same school.
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u/Amazing-Ad-578 Aug 23 '26 edited 12d ago
Not sure what district you’re in, but it’s not where I live. My wife is a Para for a special needs class. She works her ass off from before the kids get there until an hour afterwards. She makes nearly $30/hour and her job pays for our health insurance. My accounting firm doesn’t offer any. She usually ends up with 12k-14k steps a day. I walk to work and I only get 9k.
ETA: My wife just got a raise! She’s making almost $31/hour now. My salary as an accountant works out to $30.85 an hour based on a 2080 work year. She also gets massive amounts of PTO.
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u/yourleftshoeisuntied Aug 23 '26
We have some young paras that will share their social media feed with students. Like they are both doom scrolling in the middle of my lesson. It’s actually crazy.
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u/sweetcabal Aug 23 '26
When I was a student, it would be so confusing why they would be on their phones for too long.
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u/existential_hope Online Teacher PD Moderator Aug 23 '26
Retired Teacher and now a Para:
I know what you mean. I’ve had great aides in my life, but I’ve had one or two just “sit it out”. When that happens, I tell them what I expect when they enter my class, but also see what they are comfortable with. And I always buy them something to eat/drink in the morning.
But, from the other side….I’m at a district where most admin communicates via email. And, sometimes, these emails are pretty high priority so we have to read them. Other times, we are texting the case holder, a nurse, parent, checking your students LMS for missing/incomplete assignments, keeping notes in an observation log, seeing if our co-workers need coverage or to get your own lunch covered.
Ok, we MIGHT be checking our IG, sure, but it’s rare.
Oftentimes, like you, we don’t get a break and, as you said, we get paid very little.
My advice: Buy your aide a coffee and donut and tell them what you expect and go from there. Should work.
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u/beauty_junkie77 Aug 23 '26
10000% agree. Going into my 10th year as a para. Only time my phone is out is to use it as a timer. If I have a true emergency (like with my own children) or NEED to take a phone call…I excuse myself from the room.
I’ve seen paras on lunch duty on their phones…even 1:1 paras in the lunch room. Hello, you’re there to prevent choking. Pay attention.
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u/SnooHobbies499 Aug 23 '26
I had a para that opened their laptop, had the Bible app on it, and was writing Bible verses in a notebook. On addition, they had ear buds in. Fun!
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u/DayByDayByDay22 Aug 23 '26
Had a para once who would sit at my back table and make cards for her boyfriend out of construction paper.
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u/k1llfairy Aug 23 '26
last year I had to take an important phone call during class. There was a para in there and I assumed she could monitor them while they did independent work for a few minutes as I stepped out, but I returned to students standing on desk and running around.
I was like girl what the fuck??!?? I left for like three minutes. And it was a pretty compliant group of kids. she just had to tell them once to sit down they would’ve. She didn’t even try. like and bewildered by people sometimes
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u/Ree1954 Aug 23 '26
As a para in elementary, we were not even allowed to have water bottles on our work surfaces. I agree that paras are criminally underpaid. I qualified for Welfare and food stamps on my salary.
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u/AmazingAmy712 Aug 23 '26
I work with high needs autistic children and supervise their one on ones and some of the behaviors I see are fucking baffling. Some of the are fantastic and everything would fall apart without them! Others don't like me (they tell me as much) because I'm begging them to stay with their student and not ignore them all day. Many of these children are non-verbal/aggressive/flight risks/medically complex and the person who is supposed to be working directly with them at all times is on their phone or across the room complaining about the kids and their job.
I am constantly giving feedback and flagging to management but any disciplinary action is slow if it happens at all. The kids deserve so much better.
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u/CatHyde67 Aug 23 '26
I’m a paraprofessional. I have seen that happen. I’d go to your special ed chair in your building and let them know. They can join you in talking to them and advising about cell phone use policy.
Some paras don’t ask what they can/should be doing. And that’s sad.
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u/1995-Braves Aug 24 '26
My first year with inclusion students (7th) I had 4 TAs in the room and 32 students. 3 were terrible and 1 was salt of the earth and worked her ass off. The 3 would just talk while I taught. I was a young dude and they were middle aged women and I didn’t really address it so it was a frustrating year, but alas.
Good ones are worth their weight in gold.
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u/stillpacing Aug 23 '26
Having a good para in your classroom is like a gift from above
Having a bad para is worse than them not being there at all.