instructional assistant

basketball coach

administrative assistant

assistant coach

senior maintenance person

Paradise Valley Unified School District

Working for Paradise Valley Unified School District was a special experience for me because I attended school in that district, so I was working alongside educators that I knew and admired for most of my life. As a community education instructor, my typical day would involve arriving to the school before the students so that I could prep my classroom for the day, then I would escort my students from the cafeteria to the classroom. Each class was an hour and a half long, so lesson plans had to be very detailed to keep the kids occupied. There was no curriculum provided by the district, so instructors were responsible for creating lesson plans based on just a title and brief description of the class. I found this part of the job to be very challenging, but the other educators were enthusiastic to help me figure it out along the way. The most enjoyable part of the job was witnessing the spark of interest ignite in my students, and watching the way they joyfully worked together as a team to accomplish their goals.

I was a campus assistant for about 7 months and I loved the job. The teachers and office staff were great, I did am/pm crosswalk and recess rotations so I got to move around campus a lot and interact with everybody. I absolutely fell in love with the kids and got to know quite a lot of their goofy personalities. The biggest problem, which was the sole reason I left, is the pay. The job is great and you get health insurance, but rock bottom minimum wage isn't enough to live on. On top of that, they force you to have a retirement account that takes away from your already very small paycheck. It was very disheartening to have pay set so low by the district, and to not be able to have my wage reflect my efforts like at all the other jobs I've had. I had to get a second job for the first time ever and after months of running myself ragged and trying to make it work, I couldn't do it anymore. Having to say goodbye to all those kids absolutely broke my heart. It's an unbelievably rewarding job, the pay just makes it impossible.

The culture of The Mascot Program of Paradise Valley Unified School District was a very positive and influential experience that I will carry on in life. During my time with PVUSD I gained much valuable experience there was also great teamwork amongst co-workers. A typical day for me was up at 6am at work by 6:30am out by 8:45. I worked a split shift so I would go back home and be back at 2:45.My most memorable times were teaching kids as young as kindergarten students about life and hope. I also loved playing sports with many of the kids as I myself am athletic and was always very involved and active during my younger days. The hardest part for me during my experience here was addressing the students and calming them down during rowdy kid times. I have always been a more reserved quiet kid but had to grow in that area.As for my manager she was great very kind and a good example to myself and the children and taught me with patience and kindness.

My teaching days were quite demanding, yet very satisfying.  I always arrived prepared, ready to engage, teach, and, hopefully, inspire my students.  Because I love literature and writing, it was an ideal job for me.  I successfully taught and managed teenagers in classes ranging from 25-35 students per class for 5 periods a day.  Many evenings and weekends were spent creating lessons and grading papers.  Over the years, I found the most difficult part of the job to be the many hours of work required outside the classroom, for I had a family to care for. Of course, the extra time was necessary to effective, successful teaching, but sometimes it was a bit overwhelming. Even so, I loved the energy and enthusiasm of the young people I mentored and taught and truly value the many years I was a teacher. Never once did I regret my career choice.

Helped children off bus.
Assist teacher at table time and circle.
Supervised children at recess.
Gave students snack and bathroom if needed.
Checked Backpacks and processed any paperwork as needed.
Some clerical work. Sent child forms to state and processed paperwork for tuition.
Helped with behaviors and injuries.

I learned about different personalities and communicating with teacher, parents and coworkers in a professional manner.  

I learned how to manage time in my job.
I learned how to help with behaviors in children.
I learned how to deal with conflicts and be professional at all times.

The hardest part of my job was dealing with a difficult child and learning how to deal.

I enjoyed learning, I enjoyed helping others and fulfilling my educational needs.

What is the best part of working at the company?
“I loved working for the Paridise Valley School district.. I was fortunate to work with gifted students. The students were bright, the staff dedicated, and I had incredible parent support.. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
One of the most difficult parts of the job was the sheer volume of responsibilities planning, teaching, managing behaviors, grading, meetings, and paperwork, all squeezed into a day that never felt long enough. It was exhausting, not because I didn’t care, but because I cared too much.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The staff genuinely cared about one another and about the students. There was camaraderie in the hallways, and laughter in the teacher's lounge.

A typical work day was teaching 4 class, almost 2 hours each.

I leaned about my subject areas of English and Social Studies, and I learned technical skills for teaching with technology.

My Principal and Vice Principal had different standards of discipline and work ethic than I did, and this caused some difficulties.

The school, as most schools, had some very nice teachers to work with and some difficult ones to work with. 

The hardest part of the job was disciplining kids who wanted to disrupt class, and cause other distractions, or did not hand in any work.

Most enjoyable part of the job was the satisfaction that I got from seeing kids learn and make progress academically, and gain self confidence.

PVUSD is a district that teaches to the next level of technology, providing the best possible education for their students, while empowering their teachers to have all the tools needed to bring the highest level of curriculum, technology, and confidence to the classroom. They provide excellent training and ongoing support.

I taught in a self-contained kinder/first grade classroom for kiddos with emotional needs. A typical day was like any other Kinder or First grade room, with the expect ion of class size and the implementation of the Boys Town Model social skills.

The hardest part of the day, was a day that I may not have been able to intervene and defuse a behavior before it escalated.

What is the best part of working at the company?
wonderful SPED department that really cares about the staff and related services. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
living up to the amazing standards. Really not stressful if you are a good Therapist because it is what you want for the kids also

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
very accepting environment. A very diverse SPED department from teachers, para, related services. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Depends on the program you are involved in. I worked with stuctured Autism and would spend one day a week in a differenct classroom. Therapy could involve push in or pull out sessions

In a typical day I would learn with the teachers in providing the students with the best care for his or her learning disabilities or behavior issues. As a para I worked closely with many teachers and grew within each individual person and student. The hardest part was not having enough time to help provide all the details of situations that would occur at the school and monitoring everyone that needed the help, but where missed. The best part was watching the students each year grow into an individual person and control his or her emotions/behaviors through the support of the school and parents understanding and support. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Instructional assistant 172 salaries reported	$17.84 per hour
Basketball coach 7 salaries reported	$2,941 per month
Administrative assistant 13 salaries reported	$17.57 per hour
Assistant coach 7 salaries reported	$1,783 per month
Senior maintenance person 31 salaries reported	$16.38 per hour

Working at Paradise Valley Unified School District: Company Overview and Reviews

Paradise Valley Unified School District

Paradise Valley Unified School District Ratings

Popular jobs at Paradise Valley Unified School District

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected