Curiosity, care, and collaboration: Empowering school-based teams in an inclusive classroom
- syoung679
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Marcus Lau (he/him), teacher, Vancouver
As I kick off my second year as an inclusive education teacher, I find myself reflecting on the many moments—some joyful, some overwhelming, and all deeply meaningful—that shaped my previous year.
I vividly remember the excitement of stepping into my classroom for the first time in September 2024. After years of preparation, I finally had a classroom of my own. I was eager to meet my students, work alongside a team of support staff, and build a learning environment rooted in inclusion.
But alongside that excitement came a steep learning curve. I was stepping into a space filled with diversity, not only in the students I was supporting, but also in the adults I was collaborating with. I quickly realized that inclusive education is never a one-person job. It requires building relationships, navigating team dynamics, and creating a structure that supports everyone, including both students and staff.
The role of the school-based team in inclusive education
In our classroom, we supported 15 students. Each student brought a unique set of strengths, needs, and learning profiles. Alongside me, a team of seven support staff, some with over 10 years of experience and others just beginning their careers, helped make inclusion a reality every single day. We were also supported by a team of inclusive education professionals, including speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, administrators, and district resource staff, whose contributions were essential to our work.
Working in this kind of environment taught me that inclusive education is deeply relational. It is not just about programming or planning—it is about how we work together as adults. That was one of the most powerful lessons I learned this year: if we want to support students well, we must also support the team around them.
There were moments of challenge, including miscommunication, differing perspectives, and plans that did not always work out. But there were also moments of gratitude, connection, and shared growth. When we focused on team culture and relationships, things improved for everyone. Out of these experiences came three guiding values that helped sustain us through the year: curiosity, care, and collaboration.
The three Cs that got us through as a team
Curiosity
Curiosity helped us ask questions and respond with openness when situations felt uncertain, rather than jumping to conclusions. In a diverse, inclusive classroom, it is natural for team members to have different ideas about how to support students, structure the day, or respond to challenges. Instead of seeing those differences as barriers, we started viewing them as opportunities to understand each other better.
WHAT WE ASKED
What might this colleague be noticing that the rest of us are not?
What experiences or perspectives are shaping this concern or suggestion?
WHAT WE TRIED
Holding daily 10–15 minute morning check-ins where all team members, including teachers, support staff, and specialists, could share updates, ask questions, or raise concerns.
Shifting away from quick solutions and toward thoughtful follow-up questions like “What’s working for us?” and “What’s not?” or “How can we support each other?”
Debriefing after challenging days using shared reflection questions such as “What went well?” and “What was hard?” and “What can we adjust as a team?”
Using a shared classroom calendar to keep everyone informed about individualized education plan (IEP) meetings, specialist visits, family conferences, and school-wide events.
These practices helped us create a more inclusive team culture, one where each person felt heard, respected, and part of the collective effort. When we led with curiosity, we deepened our understanding of one another and strengthened our capacity to support students together.
Care
In a classroom built on relationships, care must extend beyond students to include the adults who support them. As a school-based team, we often speak about the importance of creating safe and supportive spaces for learners. But we realized that those same principles must also apply to us.
We learned that when we care for each other, when we take time to check in, offer encouragement, and respond with empathy, we create a stronger, more sustainable foundation for inclusive education.
WHAT WE TRIED
Using daily check-ins to make space for personal updates and acknowledging when someone was having a difficult morning, returning from illness, or simply needing extra support.
Debriefing after big events or busy days, not only to review logistics but also to recognize emotional impact and offer space for processing together.
Creating space for joy, encouragement, and small acts of appreciation to remind us we’re in this work together.
Organizing occasional events, such as open house days to welcome other staff into our classroom or casual staff lunches to create informal opportunities for connection, celebration, and kindness.
Over time, we became more comfortable leaning on one another, not only for task-related help but also for genuine support. As our team culture of care grew, so did our capacity to be present and responsive with students. When adults feel safe, valued, and supported, they are better able to provide that same care to the learners we serve.
Collaboration
Inclusive education thrives on shared responsibility. We came to understand that collaboration is not just a helpful practice—it is essential. No one person can meet the full range of student needs alone. As a school-based team, we saw how working together with purpose and trust allowed us to create more consistent, responsive, and inclusive learning environments.
Collaboration meant listening to each other, building routines as a team, and making space for all voices, especially those who work most closely with students throughout the day.
WHAT WE TRIED
Co-developing “one-pagers” for each student that draw from IEPs, team input, and observations to highlight key strengths, strategies, and areas of need.
Involving support staff in IEP meetings, when possible, or gathering their reflections in advance to ensure their perspectives were included and valued.
Introducing a flexible two-week rotation system so team members could work with different students, expand their skills, and reduce role fatigue.
Inviting specialists such as speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and district resource teachers to lead short, practical learning sessions during team time.
We treated collaboration as a dynamic, evolving process shaped by feedback, flexibility, and shared reflection. As we made decisions together and adapted to challenges as a team, our sense of shared ownership grew stronger. The more we collaborated, the more connected and capable we felt and the more consistent our support for students became.
Conclusion
As I reflect on this first year, I do not look back on perfection. I look back on progress, connection, and growth.
There were days when things felt messy, when plans changed, and when I was not sure if we were getting it right. But what grounded me, what carried us through, were the people in the room: the students who showed up with so much heart; the support staff who brought their care, wisdom, and patience; the school team who reminded me I was not doing this alone.
I have come to realize that inclusive education is not only about meeting diverse student needs. It is also about how we care for, listen to, and learn from our colleagues. We are all part of this community. And when we support each other with curiosity, care, and collaboration, we model the kind of classroom and world we want students to grow up in.
This year also reminded me that inclusion works best as a shared responsibility. As outlined in Inclusive Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines,1 school-based teams are collaborative problem-solving units that co-ordinate support and resources for students with diverse needs. Effective planning, instruction, and service delivery all rely on ongoing collaboration. This reminds us that we are not working alone but as part of a connected team with a shared purpose.
I still have a lot to learn. But if there is one thing the last year has taught me, it is that we are better together. And that shared purpose, supporting each other and growing together, is what makes this work so meaningful.
About the author
Marcus Lau is a secondary inclusive education teacher with the Vancouver School Board, where he teaches a life skills program and supports diverse learners. He is also a sessional lecturer at the University of British Columbia, where he works with teacher candidates to develop inclusive and student-centred teaching practices. Marcus holds a Master of Education in Inclusive Education and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at UBC, with a research focus on inclusive education and universal design for learning in both K–12 and higher education settings.
1 British Columbia Ministry of Education and Child Care, “Inclusive Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines,” Government of British Columbia, Victoria, 2024.
