- The question I'd like to discuss today in supporting you is, as a classroom teacher, what is the process to seek assistance and input, when you need specific support in programming for a student in your classroom? The first piece of key information is communication with parents. Are parents aware that the student is experiencing difficulty? Communication is the key piece in a partnership with parents. We want parents on board to support students, and they know their students best. They know their child best. So if there is a partnership, and clear communication, then we have a good foundation in terms of moving forward to support our students in our classroom. So the first question is, is how can we communicate with a parent? So, consultation with your administrator is always recommended. But simple ways in communicating with a parent can be if you see them after school, if they pick up their child, seeking an appointment and setting up an appointment to sit down and discuss with them face to face, a phone call, a note in the agenda. And now during Google Classroom, we are virtual. Google Classroom is a good venue to communicate with parents, that you'd like to reach out and speak with them. As a classroom teacher, you're always encouraged to document all communication with parents, noting the time and date, and what was discussed. And also if you're setting up next steps to meet with them. With clear communication, teachers set the stage for a positive working relationship with parents. And this is really key, because that is our main, we want a positive experience for our students, and we also want them to succeed in whatever level they are at. So what should a teacher be communicating with parents? So all information that is shared with parents should be based on observable and measurable data. So what does that mean? It can look like key assessments that you've done in the classroom, tests, written assignments, anecdotal notes that you've noticed over time, in terms of, it could be behaviors, attendance, et cetera. What are areas of need that you could include that there are concerns about that you want to reach out to parents? Some needs could be academic. They could be social/emotional, medical, behavior, attendance, lates, et cetera. The key thing is that once communication is established with parents, and the information is gathered, reach out to your administrator, and consult with your administrator and your special education teacher for input. Your special education teacher at your school is a valuable resource for you to brain stem next steps with. Your administrator is always to be informed and aware, so that they're able to support you in the next steps of the process. If a parent is reaching out to an administrator, and they're not aware of the situation, it just creates a backlog of information that they have to go out and seek it again. So communicate with your vice principal or principal that these are the concerns you're reaching out to the parent, and these are the reasons why. The next step to look at is valuable information, is a bit of research, and that is collected in the Ontario Student Record, or as we call it an OSR. Valuable information is housed there. These could include previous report cards, any previous interventions or supports that were given. For example, did they attend a specific literacy program in the past? Did they have intervention, for example, of social work in the past? Was there a previous Individual Education Plan, or we in education like to use acronyms, an IEP, that supported them somehow in their programming? Consulting possibly, if last year's teacher is on staff, reaching out to them and asking for some input on, this is what you are noticing. This is what's observable and measurable at this time. Did the student experience any similar difficulties last year in the academic school year?