What are the responsibilities and job description for the Educational Support Personnel (ESP) - Therapeutic Classroom position at Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School?
Position Title: Elementary School Special Education ESP - Therapeutic Classroom
Position Summary:
Educational support staff - such as paraprofessionals, teaching assistants, or classroom aides- play a crucial role in supporting students with emotional and behavioral needs. They work closely with the therapeutic teacher and service providers to help implement individualized supports, maintain a safe and structured environment, and build positive relationships with students.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Student Support and Supervision
- Provide consistent, hands-on support to individual students or small groups throughout the school day.
- Assist students during transitions, teach and reinforce coping strategies, and help them follow routines.
- Model appropriate social behavior and assist with peer interactions and conflict resolution.
- Maintain student safety and provide active supervision in all settings (e.g., classroom, specials, recess, lunch, transitions).
2. Instructional Support
- Support academic instruction by reinforcing lessons and accommodations provided by the therapeutic teacher.
- Help students complete modified classwork and assignments.
- Collect data on academic engagement, participation, and progress as directed.
3. Behavioral Support
- Implement behavior intervention plans (BIPs) and therapeutic strategies consistently and as trained.
- Reinforce positive behavior, prompt use of coping strategies, and assist students in de-escalation when needed.
- Accurately document behavioral observations, incidents, and progress using the program’s systems.
4. Communication and Collaboration
- Participate in team meetings, daily check-ins, and debriefing sessions with teachers and clinical staff.
- Maintain open and professional communication about student progress, concerns, and needs.
- Contribute to and reference communication logs for each student to ensure coordination among the full team.
5. Emotional and Therapeutic Support
- Build strong, trusting relationships with students to foster emotional safety and connection.
- Respond to student behaviors using therapeutic approaches.
- Help implement classroom-based social-emotional learning (SEL) activities and provide one-on-one support when needed.
6. Ongoing Professional Growth
- Participate in relevant professional development opportunities to build skills in behavior management, social-emotional learning, de-escalation strategies and instructional strategies.
- Apply new knowledge and strategies gained through training to better support students and collaborate more effectively with the team.
Application Procedure:
As per Article 6 of the Agreement between the Winthrop School Committee and the Winthrop Teachers’ Association, the following vacancy is posted for Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School.
Additional information on this position may be obtained from Andrea O’Leary, Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School, (617) 846-5543 or aoleary@winthrop.k12.ma.us.
Interested applicants should notify Andrea O’Leary.
Salary : $19,416 - $35,659