They Can't Read Your Mind
Building Systems That Help Paraprofessionals Succeed
A paraprofessional doing their best with almost none of the information they need. An accommodation delivered one way in first period and another way in third. A substitute para handed a student and no plan. None of it is because your paras don't care — it's because the systems around them were never built.
This half-day workshop fixes the system, not the person: in one working session your team turns information-trapped-in-someone's-head into clear roles, a one-page communication tool any adult can pick up, and feedback that strengthens the relationship instead of straining it.
What you get:
• Two editions — Regular (60–90 min, ~25 slides) and Extended (~3-hour half-day, ~41 slides with six timed working blocks) • Editable PowerPoint + Google Slides decks; Word + Google Docs companions; PDFs included; speaker notes on every slide • Four companion docs per edition — Facilitator Guide, Discussion Guide, Implementation Tools (blank Para Snapshot template + ready-to-use forms), Participant Handout • Brandable — drop in your district name and logo; placeholders on the title slide • Single-Building License included • Grounded in peer-reviewed research and IDEA/FERPA
- Slides
- ~25 regular · ~41 extended
- Runtime
- 60–90 min or ~3-hour half-day
- Format
- PowerPoint + Google Slides + PDF
- Audience
- Special education teams & paraprofessionals
All included in the price shown.
Quick Answers
Short answers to the questions schools ask most.
What exactly do I get?
Two editions (Regular and Extended). Each has the deck in PowerPoint and PDF plus four companion docs — Facilitator Guide, Discussion Guide, Implementation Tools, and a Participant Handout — plus editable Google Slides/Docs copies and a single-building license.
Can I edit it and add our school's name?
Yes. The decks and handout are fully editable in PowerPoint and Google Slides, with placeholders for your school/district name and logo.
Do I need to prepare anything?
No. Every slide has speaker notes and the Facilitator Guide walks you through the timing block by block. You can run it as early as next week.
Who is this for?
Anyone who supports paraprofessionals: special education teachers, case managers, SLPs, and the paras themselves, plus the administrators who set up their training.
How is it delivered?
Instant download after checkout (a single ZIP with everything).
What's the license?
A single-building license: present it unlimited times within one building.
Refunds?
All sales are final (digital download).
Preview the materials
A few sample slides and a companion document page. These are samples only — the full deck and resources are included with purchase.
Watermarked samples shown — your purchased files are clean, unmarked, and fully editable.
By the end of this PD, participants will:
- The system, not the person — See why a struggling paraprofessional is usually a sign the system failed first, and name the specific systems a school actually controls.
- The proximity paradox — Recognize how constant adult support can quietly reduce a student's independence and peer connection, and design support that fades on purpose.
- The legal floor — Know what IDEA requires: paras must be appropriately trained and supervised, and they assist and reinforce rather than serve as the sole provider of specially designed instruction.
- A one-page communication tool — Build a reusable system, starting with a Para Snapshot Sheet, so any para (even a substitute) can support a student well from day one.
- Feedback that coaches — Give specific, modeling-based feedback that strengthens the relationship, and treat supervision as ongoing coaching, not a once-a-year signature.
- A concrete commitment — Leave with a team START / STOP / ASK and one individual move that change how paras are informed, supported, and included.
Built for the people doing the work.
Special education teams who supervise or depend on paraprofessionals — case managers, SLPs, special education teachers, instructional coaches, and building administrators. Ideal for back-to-school or new-para onboarding.
License
Single-building license — present unlimited times within one building.
Delivery & refunds
Checkout and instant file delivery are handled by Gumroad — you'll get an email with your download link within seconds of purchase. All sales are final (digital download). Read the full refund policy.
Every NSES presentation, ready to make your own
Each deck arrives fully editable in PowerPoint and Google Slides, with speaker notes on every slide so anyone can present it confidently. Drop in your school or district name and deliver it as your own — facilitator and participant materials included.
- Open & edit in PowerPoint or Google Slides
- Speaker notes on every slide — present tomorrow
- Drop in your school name — brand it as your own
- Facilitator & participant materials included