paraprofessional

[par-uh-pruh-fesh-uh-nl]

noun

1. a person trained to assist a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or other professional, but not licensed to practice in the profession.

adjective

1. of or relating to paraprofessionals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paraprofessional¹

First recorded in 1965–70; para- ¹ + professional

Example Sentences

The other was a close friend, Stefanie Robinson, a paraprofessional who worked with students with severe disabilities, including those requiring help with feeding and diapering.

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Ramming, director of Advancing Modoc, a nonprofit that works to increase educational opportunities in the region, said plenty of locals, including paraprofessionals already working in classrooms, would love to become credentialed teachers.

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Indeed, they may not be seen by a doctor at all but by a paraprofessional — a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, for instance — who works under the doctor’s license.

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One of the reasons for the increase: More paraprofessionals — also known as instructional assistants — are being hired to assist special education students and early English learners.

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I was 22 and working as a paraprofessional at an elementary school in Boise, Idaho, earning $9 an hour.

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