Inclusion in the classroom
Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up, and they always have an exciting answer. Children look at the world and see endless possibilities and hope. When children look at each other they don’t see disabilities, they see their friends and classmates.
“Children are so accepting of each other,” said Kim Robinson, retired teacher. “They embrace the differences in each other, and because of that, have more fun.”
For many years parents and teachers have embraced the idea of inclusive education. Parents of children with disabilities have been vocal about getting their children into inclusive classrooms to give their children an equal opportunity at education and acceptance. They also want their children to be able to function in the real world as adults.
“I have a one-year-old at home and so far everything seems completely normal but if anything ever came up that she had a disability, or if someone in her class had a disability I would support inclusion,” said Amanda Thomas, pre-school teacher. “I think all children deserve a chance to live the life they dream of.”
Teachers have the difficult task of training themselves to accommodate children with disabilities and to get the approval of parents whose children do not have a disability. Many teachers feel the pressure to make their class accessible to care for each childs individual needs. Teachers who do not support inclusion in the classroom often feel overwhelmed by disabled children’s needs and do not take advantage of the trainings that would help make their classrooms more inclusion friendly. If a teacher wants to have more success in the inclusion process many times it will include a special education teacher to help out with special students. Communication between the teachers can prove vital to the success of an inclusion classroom.
“Anytime, I have ever had a special education teacher in my class I have felt that the two of us working with the child, or children, was more beneficial than just the one,” said Rebecca Mejia, pre-school teacher. “I have also noticed that all the children tend to enjoy an extra teacher in the class.”
Inclusive classrooms that are adequately prepared for students with disabilities usually function very well. The creativity in the classroom benefits all of the children. Inclusive classrooms work a lot in groups to help children with disabilities refine their social skill they may be delayed in. Working in different groups not only benefits the child with the disability, but helps the child without the disability be better prepared for what they will see in the real world.
“My children love to work in groups,” said Mejia. “They get to know everyone in the classroom better that way. It’s fun to watch them branch out and talk to students they normally would not.”
Teachers and schools that shy away from inclusive education usually do so because it takes effort. It takes time away from the class to prepare to bring disabled children into a classroom. Teachers have to be flexible with their lesson plans and be prepared to adapt worksheets for the student’s different levels. They have to be creative and be willing to adapt and change. This method has not always worked in the past.
“I was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) when I was very young,” said Jillian Hall, elementary teacher. “I never looked at it as a disability but my school did, and they actively tried to put me in separate classes than the rest of my friends.”
Teachers have the power to make their classroom a learning environment for all students not just the ones who seem easier to teach.
“I thank my parent’s everyday because they told the school I was capable of learning everything any other student was,” said hall. “I have a three-year-old son being tested for autism and I have every intention of putting him in a regular classroom whatever the results are.”
Inclusion education has the support of federal law as well. While federal law does not require inclusion in the classroom it does require that there should be significant effort made to find an inclusive placement. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), amended in 2004, requires by law that children with disabilities be educated in the “least restrictive environment appropriate” to meet their “unique needs.”
IDEA does acknowledge that all children with disabilities should not be placed in the regular education classroom. However, the law does require school districts to have a
“Continuum of placements” available that allows the opportunity for each child to be placed in an environment that is specifically suited to meet his or her needs.
“Children view the world with such innocence and truly believe that all their dreams will come true,” said Robinson. “I will not be the person that tells them any different. When you educate a child in any environment anything is possible.”
Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up, and they always have an exciting answer. Children look at the world and see endless possibilities and hope. When children look at each other they don’t see disabilities, they see their friends and classmates.
“Children are so accepting of each other,” said Kim Robinson, retired teacher. “They embrace the differences in each other, and because of that, have more fun.”
For many years parents and teachers have embraced the idea of inclusive education. Parents of children with disabilities have been vocal about getting their children into inclusive classrooms to give their children an equal opportunity at education and acceptance. They also want their children to be able to function in the real world as adults.
“I have a one-year-old at home and so far everything seems completely normal but if anything ever came up that she had a disability, or if someone in her class had a disability I would support inclusion,” said Amanda Thomas, pre-school teacher. “I think all children deserve a chance to live the life they dream of.”
Teachers have the difficult task of training themselves to accommodate children with disabilities and to get the approval of parents whose children do not have a disability. Many teachers feel the pressure to make their class accessible to care for each childs individual needs. Teachers who do not support inclusion in the classroom often feel overwhelmed by disabled children’s needs and do not take advantage of the trainings that would help make their classrooms more inclusion friendly. If a teacher wants to have more success in the inclusion process many times it will include a special education teacher to help out with special students. Communication between the teachers can prove vital to the success of an inclusion classroom.
“Anytime, I have ever had a special education teacher in my class I have felt that the two of us working with the child, or children, was more beneficial than just the one,” said Rebecca Mejia, pre-school teacher. “I have also noticed that all the children tend to enjoy an extra teacher in the class.”
Inclusive classrooms that are adequately prepared for students with disabilities usually function very well. The creativity in the classroom benefits all of the children. Inclusive classrooms work a lot in groups to help children with disabilities refine their social skill they may be delayed in. Working in different groups not only benefits the child with the disability, but helps the child without the disability be better prepared for what they will see in the real world.
“My children love to work in groups,” said Mejia. “They get to know everyone in the classroom better that way. It’s fun to watch them branch out and talk to students they normally would not.”
Teachers and schools that shy away from inclusive education usually do so because it takes effort. It takes time away from the class to prepare to bring disabled children into a classroom. Teachers have to be flexible with their lesson plans and be prepared to adapt worksheets for the student’s different levels. They have to be creative and be willing to adapt and change. This method has not always worked in the past.
“I was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) when I was very young,” said Jillian Hall, elementary teacher. “I never looked at it as a disability but my school did, and they actively tried to put me in separate classes than the rest of my friends.”
Teachers have the power to make their classroom a learning environment for all students not just the ones who seem easier to teach.
“I thank my parent’s everyday because they told the school I was capable of learning everything any other student was,” said hall. “I have a three-year-old son being tested for autism and I have every intention of putting him in a regular classroom whatever the results are.”
Inclusion education has the support of federal law as well. While federal law does not require inclusion in the classroom it does require that there should be significant effort made to find an inclusive placement. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), amended in 2004, requires by law that children with disabilities be educated in the “least restrictive environment appropriate” to meet their “unique needs.”
IDEA does acknowledge that all children with disabilities should not be placed in the regular education classroom. However, the law does require school districts to have a
“Continuum of placements” available that allows the opportunity for each child to be placed in an environment that is specifically suited to meet his or her needs.
“Children view the world with such innocence and truly believe that all their dreams will come true,” said Robinson. “I will not be the person that tells them any different. When you educate a child in any environment anything is possible.”
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