From Classroom to BCBA: Making Your School Day Count

Jordan Husa — Edited by Richard Van Acker, EdD — 3 minute read
Learning that you need 2,000 supervision hours (or 1,500 for the concentrated route) in order to sit for the boards can be a lot to take in. Add coursework and a full-time job as a teacher or paraprofessional, a personal life, and suddenly your heart rate is through the roof. That is A LOT of hours. At first, I panicked and thought I would have to quit my job as a third-grade teacher to become an RBT, because that was said to be the “best” route (according to Google… and Google never lies, right?).

So let’s answer the fundamental question: How can you get your supervision hours while working in a school as a teacher or paraprofessional?

Knowing that so many activities happening in your classroom each day can count toward your hours is essential.
Jordan Husa

First Things First

Let me grab my megaphone for this one — FIND THE RIGHT SUPERVISOR.

Many BCBAs began their journey as RBTs or BTs in clinic settings. However, it is important to note that many also started as teachers or paraprofessionals in schools and still gained meaningful ABA experience while earning their supervision hours. A supervisor who has worked in a school setting understands the realities of the classroom and can help you identify behavior-analytic opportunities that naturally occur throughout your day. That level of understanding makes a huge difference. Knowing that so many activities happening in your classroom each day can count toward your hours is essential.

What You See in Your Classroom Can Count as Hours

Let’s break this down. Do you have students? If you said yes, then you have several “clients.” 

Ask yourself:

  • Do you observe student behavior during lessons, transitions, or recess? Bonus points if you collect data!
  • Do any of your students have IEPs or BIPs that you help implement?
  • Do you participate in SPED meetings, discuss behavior goals, or review progress?
  • Do you design or modify behavior or academic goals based on student performance and data?
  • Do you meet with administrators, speech-language pathologists, counselors, parents, etc, to discuss student behavior? 
  • Do you use a classroom management system (token boards, points, stickers, treasure chests)? Hello, positive reinforcement and group contingencies!
  • Do you teach replacement behaviors or academic strategies and then fade prompts to encourage independence? AKA scaffolding!
  • Do you adapt instructional materials to reduce problem behavior or increase engagement?
  • Do you monitor and review behavioral and academic progress over time?

If you said yes to any of the above, you are doing things in your classroom that can count toward your supervision hours! How can this be so? Since each student receives individualized instruction and behavior support, they can be considered separate clients, allowing classroom activities to contribute to supervised fieldwork hours. 
Since each student receives individualized instruction and behavior support, they can be considered separate clients, allowing classroom activities to contribute to supervised fieldwork hours. 
Jordan husa

Final Thought(s)

So, pretty please with a cherry on top, do NOT quit your job or start over to pursue becoming a BCBA. With the right supervisor—one who supports you, answers your questions, and helps ensure you are aligned with BACB standards, your classroom can become one of the best learning environments out there!

If you are a teacher or paraprofessional, you have most likely heard the quote, “It takes a big heart to shape little minds” (if you are really lucky, you have a coffee mug that says it). The fact that you are in a classroom working with students shows that you are applying more ABA strategies to shape behavior than you may give yourself credit for. You are shaping your students in ways that are incredibly impactful, not only now but into their future. Now do you recognize that you are gaining meaningful experience every day on your path to becoming an amazing BCBA, or do I need to grab my megaphone again? 
 With the right supervisor—one who supports you, answers your questions, and helps ensure you are aligned with BACB standards, your classroom can become one of the best learning environments out there!
Jordan Husa
written by

Jordan Husa

Jordan Husa is a third grade teacher and aspiring behavior analyst in the public school setting. Before stepping into her current role, she worked with children as a nanny, daycare provider, au pair in the Czech Republic, and substitute teacher in public education. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys balancing her own studies with quality time spent with family and friends. Jordan is a Supervision with TLC trainee with her Bachelors in Elementary Education with a minor in Child and Family Development and is currently pursuing her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) while accruing the hours required to be eligible to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification exam.

EDITED BY DR. RICHARD VAN ACKER

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