Substitute Para-Professional
(Female, Age 25) from Davis, NY
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 25 who works as a Substitute Para-Professional in Davis, NY. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Substitute Para-Professional |
|---|---|
| Salary | $30,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Davis, NY |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
It is a school district with 15 schools in it
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Teach small groups of children in a safe environment.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
None
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
under compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work with children and teachers
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
School, I like how exciting it is.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 5
Hours: 2
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 4
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 3
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Wake up and eat breakfast. I take a shower and I get dressed. All in all, I get ready for work |
| 8am to 9am | I meet the teacher I am working with for the day. She explains to me how everything works and her classroom policies. She shows me my lesson plans for the day and I try to study them before the bell rings. |
| 9am to 10am | The bell rings at 9 am. I introduce myself to the children and I observe the classroom for an hour. I take notes on each of the children’s behaviors so I will be better prepared for the day. |
| 10am to 11am | I take a group and do a reading lesson. I will try to incorporate fun games that are related to the curriculum. I do test prep and I try to answer any questions and fill in the gaps of their education. |
| 11am to 12pm | I go and take the children to P.E. I help the p.E. teacher with my small group because they have poor motor skills. I take one child to the side and just help her twirl a jump rope. Another child comes over and we just roll a ball back and forth. |
| 12pm to 1pm | This is my lunch break. I sit in the break room for an hour. |
| 1pm to 2pm | I go back to the classroom and teach a science lesson. The lesson is on astronomy. I try to explain the different hemispheres and I explain what a constilation is. I show them star charts and teach them about how stars are formed. |
| 2pm to 3pm | This is math time. I go over their math curriculum with flash cards. We go over the 8 times table. The bell rings at 3 pm. |
| 3pm to 4pm | After the bell rings, I write a detailed report of what happened that day. I try to address any behavioral problems, and tell them about how the lessons went. Then I go home. |
| 4pm to 5pm | |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I was offered it by a customer at a past job.
What was the application process?
Submitted resume, meeting, and then a formal interview.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes I did. I interviewed with the head of the department whom told me I had the job on the spot, so it was a very short process.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
My past experience, scenario questions, my current school schedule, and what I expected for my starting salary.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
No, I was not trained and I was not told any prior information.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No there was not, it was expected that you should have had previous experience prior to starting.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
No. I feel that the only way to be prepared for my job is just to work and get used to children and how they tick.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Work very hard and do well with children.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
They need to have good communication skills, be good with children, and have alot of patience.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, at least high school.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Have ALOT of patience.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
It is a stepping stone. It does not have anything to do with my future career, but it is something to get me started.
What are your current career goals?
I want to be a news anchor on CNN.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is a very rewarding experience working with disabled children.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Para Professional | 1 year | 13.32 an hour | Working with children and teaching small groups. |
| Prior Job 2 | E.S.S. Attendant | 3 years | 10.33 an hour | Created a fun, safe, and educational environment for children. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:4.6
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.8 | University of California Santa Barbara | B.A. Communication |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
N/A/ | University of Phoenix | Broadcasting |
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