Spotlight on Roseville School District Paraprofessionals: Heidi Larson

Editor's note: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has proclaimed this as Paraprofessionals Week. in honor of that proclamation, Roseville Patch is highlighting the work of some of District 623's paras. Today's story is about Heidi Larson, a Roseville resident and para at Falcon Heights Elementary School.

Now in her seventh year as a paraprofessional, Heidi Larson said she sees her job not only as a way to help students but give a thankyou to the School District.

"My (three) children received wonderful educations (in the Roseville schools). They are all college graduates," Larson said. "This (being a paraprofessional) was a way for me to give back (to the district)."

Larson was previously a substitute teacher. But Larson said she wanted to become a para so she could work more consistently with the same students and  build a relationship with them.

Paras, like Larson, say they help augment the work of regular classroom teachers by providing extra assistance to students. In Larson's case, she works with a handful of special education students.

"These kids need extra help whether it is socially,physically or academically," Larson said.

Larson works every day that classes are in session,which is typically six hours a day, Mondays through Fridays.

Larson said the biggest challenge in the job is that it is often tiring and exhausting work. But she added that it is also very rewarding. "I like to see the progress students can make when they have individual attention. I really like my job a lot."