St. Michael-Albertville Schools Honor Teachers' Secret Weapon

Not many would argue with the fact that teachers have a tough job. With so many different learning abilities to cater to, so many different mandates to follow and so much prep work involved in educating our children, one wonders how they manage to give each child that personalized learning experience they need.

One of their biggest "secret weapons" is the schools’ paraprofessional staff, the school employees whose job descriptions run deep and wide. Paras step in to give excelling students extra challenges and struggling students or special needs students the extra time and assistance they need to get that “aha!” moment. They step into the classroom to read with the class and give teachers important individual or small-group time with students, and they pitch in in numerous other ways to help the schools run like a well-oiled machine.

Ardeen Blees has been a paraprofessional in for 25 years, first in the office and more recently in the classrooms. She rotates around the hal- day kindergarten classrooms, engaging a large group of students in reading and discussing a book while teachers get some one-on-one time doing reading or math with students.

“I enjoy seeing a child that has accomplished something that has been difficult for them,” Bleess said, when asked about her favorite part of the job. “To see that satisfaction in their eyes is very rewarding to me … they are so proud of themselves.”

Kristin LaDuke has been a paraprofessional with for four years, and she said it seemed fated that she got this job. She and her family were moving to the area, and a job posting came up for a paraprofessional in the media center at a perfect time. Citing her two biggest passions to be kids and books, LaDuke said this job has been a great fit. LaDuke helps students find books, does check-ins and check-outs and helps the librarian with media lessons. She also helps with the school’s technology.

For those who are lucky, there’s usually a specific task or two that gives people a warm, fuzzy feeling about their career. For LaDuke, that moment comes nearly every day: when a child asks her to help pick out a good book.

“It’s so much fun when we sort through things and find that perfect book,” LaDuke continues, “and then seeing that excitement.”

Many paraprofessionals spring from active parent volunteers in the school; they get hooked on helping out around the schools and becoming a paraprofessional allows them to make a career out of doing just that.

Ann Huser is one of these people; she was an active volunteer while her children were in elementary school at Fieldstone, and she jumped on board this year as a para at the high school.

“It’s very fulfilling to see the impact of working with the students,” she said. “When they finally understand something it’s like ‘I did it! I helped them understand.’ It’s very rewarding.”

“Our paraprofessionals are a very important piece of the puzzle,” said F principal Jeanette Aanerud. “Both in the children’s lives and to the big picture of the whole school. We need our support staff.”

The schools hosted various events to say thank you to the paraprofessionals this week, such as a teacher-provided lunch at Fieldstone and sweet breakfast treats at the high school.