Education support is a UK charity that champions the mental health and wellbeing of teachers. It was founded in 1877 as a benevolent fund for teachers and today also supports students and staff at further, higher and adult education.
Many companies offer a tuition assistance benefit to help employees pay for school. This is an excellent way to promote professional growth.
Guidance or Counseling Office
Guidance counselors assist students with personal and family issues that may interfere with their learning process. Counselors work with teachers and other staff members to help students develop coping skills and make informed decisions in order to prepare for life. Counselors also provide information regarding academics and graduation requirements, colleges, scholarships, career and vocational training. Counselors use school orientation programs, homeroom visits, guidance classes and individual appointments to become acquainted with each student. They also study standardized placement scores and review each student’s academic history.
Counselors may also address the educational and career development needs of special target groups, such as minorities, women and handicapped students, by developing and implementing programs to improve and expand counseling services for these special populations. They are also required to comply with civil rights statutory and regulatory requirements related to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
ESL (English as a Second Language) Specialists
Students who are learning English as a second language often find that they need help with their academic writing, so the CUNY Writing Center (1.88) has ESL Specialists on staff to help them. These professors, who have a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language, can work with students on everything from essay writing to preparing for class presentations.
ESL administrators reported that a key – albeit challenging – responsibility was to collaborate with mainstream classroom teachers. However, many of these partnerships were reported as informal and not sustained over time. Mainstream teachers need greater preparation in understanding the complexities of ELLs, including second language acquisition and culture as it impacts student learning.
ESL administrators need to be able to conduct high quality, data driven professional development for mainstream teachers. This is particularly critical in schools with a large percentage of ELLs. The resulting collaboration between ESL and mainstream teachers can make the difference in student achievement.
Library and Media Services
Our school library media programs provide students and teachers with intellectual and physical access to a wide range of literature and informational reading materials. They aggressively promote reading and nurture a love for learning. Through collaborative work with classroom teachers, the library media program teaches inquiry-based research skills and helps students become effective users of information by integrating technology into curriculum activities and developing a network of connections to local and global resources and institutions.
The library media collection supports the curriculum and provides students with opportunities to develop literary, cultural and aesthetic appreciation, intellectual integrity and ethical standards. All materials are selected with a focus on supporting student needs and the growth of knowledge in an environment that is welcoming, respectful of all people and free of bias or prejudice. This collection is supported by a full-time certificated library media teacher and staff. INFOhio is an online resource that allows students and teachers to locate a variety of scholarly articles, journals, databases and books.
Teachers
In addition to delivering instruction, teachers must provide guidance and counseling to students concerning academic and personal issues. They also may collaborate with other staff members on grade-level or subject-area teams to plan and coordinate instructional activities.
Teachers should also develop effective parent-teacher communication and engagement strategies and support students to set and achieve goals. They are also responsible for the analysis of data to determine student progress and improvement opportunities, as well as developing instructional strategies to meet individual student needs.
Education support professionals work full-time during school hours and usually have several weeks off of work during the year for school and federal holidays. Most have little on-the-job training and instead rely on their prior education and training to perform their job duties. NJEA continually strives to safeguard and advance the professional interests, training, pay, pension and health benefits of ESP. Visit our ESP Resources page for additional information and Department-funded projects that local programs and individuals may find helpful.