Education is filled with jargon galore, and we often forget that these terms are not part of a guardian’s everyday vocabulary. In my experience, families have been confused about what School-Based Teams (SBT) are and how they support students. This is especially true for first-time caregivers or families new to the country. Recognizing this gap, I saw a need for a parent resource in my school board and decided to create a document that avoids education-specific jargon, or at least explains what educators mean when referring to SBTs. This way, families can better understand the support structures in place for their children.
In thinking about honoring identity and strength-based learning, I wanted to take it a step further, so I created a guardian survey that asks about their child’s strengths and areas where they see room for improvement. Since then, I’ve shared this document with my Learning Resource Teacher (LRT), and she has incorporated it into her own practice. I’ve also shared it with families and brought the strength-based forms filled out by guardians to my School-Based Team (SBT) meetings, using them to facilitate positive and productive discussions about supporting each student’s unique needs.
My school has also adopted my document and used the “teacher checklist” with our staff to help them prepare for their individual meetings, ensuring they have everything they need. I’ve received feedback that this has been especially helpful for new teachers to our school board or to the profession, providing them with a clear framework to organize their thoughts and effectively support their students.
