inclusion

Question:
Please provide your reflection on this change within your blog. How will this change of models affect your classroom? What are your thoughts with regard to these changes? Do you have initial ideas on how you will accommodate these changes?

I believe that the shift in education from isolation to inclusion is a positive one. As we are an ever evolving society so too must education challenge itself to achieve beyond the status quo and implement programs whereby ALL students needs can be met. Inclusion is an excellent step in the right direction however I am concerned with the lack of attention given to it. With classroom diversity at an all time high and other program implementations such as multicultural education, continuous programming, standardized testing and so on teachers are being bombarded with more and more information, objectives, mandates and school initiatives. While the goals behind these programs are often implemented with the best interests of the students in mind teachers are often left at the way side trying to define and at times figure out how they are to achieve all of these in the time allotted to them.

Inclusion on its own is a huge undertaking and I am concerned by the lack of knowledge base whereby a teacher can ensure they are meeting the needs of each and every student. To have the student’s best interests in mind is one thing. It is another thing to turn idealism into reality. We have to go beyond wanting the best for the child and instead DO what’s best for the child. I am not altogether convinced that full inclusion is always the best solution in it’s present form. I say this for several reasons: 1) resources- teachers often lack knowledge and resource help to cope with the range of children with special needs. 2) information- there is a current lack of programs aimed at equipping teachers with strategies to incorporate inclusion into their classrooms. In fact I believe U of L is one of the few education programs that have such classes mandated within their degrees. 3) money- there isn’t enough money to employ support staff or appropriate caregivers. 4) in extreme cases teachers are NOT trained in the medical profession and are unable to provide immediate care to those who require it.

While I do believe that inclusion can and IS a positive program for education I feel that a lot needs to be reviewed before we can call inclusion a ‘success story’. Until it receives the attention, funding and professional courtesy it deserves I am afraid it is just another program adding to the pressures on teachers today. As I have stated with the right attention inclusion has all the promise of being a truly beautiful thing and I hope that I can one day say with conviction that education is a truly inclusive stand of society.

Personally, I will accomodate these new demands by being as knowledgeable as I can about where my students are and how I can help them succeed within in my classroom. The more I know about my students the more I can gear my teaching style towards their learning style. I also believe that assessment should focus on growth and not on grade achievement. Each lesson should be appraoched with a goal and be considered successful when that goal has been accomplished. Reward students for achievements, focus on what they did well while keeping in mind that there are expectations on each and every student. I believe that high expectations show your students that you believe that they can succeed and that you will do everything to help them reach their full potential. For example: I will never use a bell curve because it tells my students that I don't believe that they can all learn.