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Post 10: Walking with 2 Legs in Supporting School Teams

My focus on this blog has been to explore how one might intervene and support students with challenging behaviours in a mainstream classroom, using Indigenous principles and strategies. With reflection on readings and discussions, I shifted from a student focus to a focus on the classroom teacher. A school-based team meeting typically consists of the classroom teacher, student family members, administration, and learning support staff. It can evolve to include district support district personnel, such as school psychologists and behaviour interventionists, and community resources, like counsellors or social workers. The student is demonstrating an undesired or difficult behaviour; the teacher is directly influencing and being affected by the behaviour. Everyone else at the table is offering input, advice, or support; however, it the classroom teacher who ultimately performs the action of change or puts into place the innovation from the creativity shared as a group.

Using Indigenous principles of teaching and learning to support a classroom teacher is an interesting way to approach the situation. Connection and relationship building is key.

From Elaine Alec's book, A Call to Action, I learned there is a way to establish protocol for meetings that will encourage and foster safe spaces for honest communication and creative problem solving. I would like to incorporate her advocation for well-being and validation of everyone at the table. I think because of the busy and urgent nature of a school setting, combined with a difficult behaviour, we can rush into meetings and problem solving before everyone is ready. Any issues within and between the adults at the table that can impact the success of the plan or intervention.

Using the First Peoples Principles of Learning as a guide will help in this area as well. The principles describe learning involving patience, reflection, relationships, and reciprocity. The current BC curriculum, with its Core Competency focus supports skill development in the areas of pesonal identity and social awareness and creative thinking. Goals in these areas can frame purposes and focal points of meetings.

Shelly Moore speaks to using FPPL in inclusive education. Her strategy of creating a class profile with the classroom teacher involves looking at a whole class--their interests, strengths, and stretches. Support teachers then help classroom teachers support all the needs in the classroom, not just an individual student for 15 minutes a day here and 2 students 3 times a week for 30 minutes there. Classroom structures are set up that support all learners in the classroom and support of other adults is wrapped around the classroom teacher.

I feel very empowered and quite excited by this new focus and perspective that I've gained. I look forward to using this knowledge in practice as a classroom teacher and in a future career in behaviour support.  I am happy to move forward with the practice of walking on 2 feet, Indigenous and Western, in my professional life because it aligns with how I want to live my personal life.



Alec, Elaine. (2020). Calling My Spirit Back. Tellwell Talent.

First Nations Education Steering Committee. (2007). First Peoples Principles of Learning. https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

Moore, Shelly. (2019). "Video Strategy: The Class Profile." 5 Moore Minutes. https://fivemooreminutes.com/strategy-4-the-class-profile/

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