Role of an Education Assistant

Mary Harber BA, BSW, MSW, has been a social worker and educator for the past 30 years, supporting individuals, families, and communities in the areas of substance use and prevention, trauma support, and creative intervention methods in practice. She teaches at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia.Asha Rao Med, DVATI, is program lead of the Education Assistant and Community Support Program and faculty in the Community, Family, and Child Studies Department at Camosun College.

Provides insight and strategies for education assistants and teachers to work together to create truly inclusive and supportive classrooms for all students. Facilitating a safe, caring school experience that maximizes learning for Canada's diverse population is the shared vision, and The Role of an Education Assistant offers current, practical steps to get there." - Linda Jones, Coordinator, Educational Support Program, Mohawk College "This text provides insight and strategies for education assistants and teachers to work together to create truly inclusive and supportive classrooms for all students. To build effective teams, all educators will benefit from the roadmap to success detailed in these pages. Facilitating a safe, caring school experience that maximizes learning for Canada's diverse population is the shared vision, and The Role of an Education Assistant offers current, practical steps to get there." - Linda Jones, Coordinator, Educational Support Program, Mohawk College"Current, relevant, accessible, thoughtful, and CANADIAN… The Role of an Education Assistant does a masterful job of providing clarity on the evolution of the role of an education assistant and highlighting the value this educational team member plays in the inclusion of ALL students. I look forward to exploring the chapters' key ideas as well as engaging in discussion with my students around the questions for reflection." - Nora Kennett, Instructor and Practicum Coordinator, Education Assistant Program, Okanagan College

• ForewordPrefaceSection I: The Education AssistantRole of an Education AssistantChapter 1: Addressing Ableism in Schools with Disability Studies in Education Informed PedagogiesChapter 2: Education Assistants as AdvocatesThe Education Assistant as a ProfessionalChapter 3: What Makes an Outstanding Education Assistant? Best Practices in the FieldChapter 4: Emotion Work and What it Means for Education AssistantsSection II: Mental Health and WellnessBehaviourChapter 5: Understanding and Honouring Communicative Intent: Shifting from Judgment to Curiosity with Kindness and IntentionChapter 6: Trauma Sensitivity in the Classroom: Developing Trusting RelationshipsChapter 7: Healthy Social SexualitySocial Emotional LearningChapter 8: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)Chapter 9: Social Emotional Learning and the Work of Education AssistantsChapter 10: Finding Connection: Developing Social CompetenceSection III: Cultural DiversityIndigenousChapter 11: Cultural Safety: A Foundation for Working with Indigenous StudentsGender DiversityChapter 12: Understanding the Intersection of Gender and Diverse Abilities in a School Setting: Education Assistants as Integral AlliesInterculturalChapter 13: The Role of Education Assistants in Helping "Young Ambassadors" Form Self-Determined IdentitiesSection IV: Supporting All StudentsClassroom InclusionChapter 14: Education Assistants as Inclusive Leaders in ClassroomsChapter 15: From the Margins to the Centre: Education Assistants as Inclusion FacilitatorsAcademicsChapter 16: Supporting AcademicsChapter 17: Collaborative Strategies and Resources for the ClassroomChapter 18: Transition: The Journey to AdulthoodContributor Biographies