As an educator to students of all different backgrounds, I feel that it is the educators’ job to promote social integration in the classroom, as well as throughout the district and community in which they live. While a child spends a large portion of their day inside of a school, they are also very capable of picking up learned practices and behaviors at home. It is also important for teachers and staff alike to educate parents and families about disabilities and inclusion classrooms. It not only provides expectations but it also allows them the opportunity to feel more comfortable about least restrictive environment (LRE) learners being in their child’s classroom. This also goes for the parents of students that will be inclusive. If they have a better understanding of the general education classroom then they can actively collaborate with the teacher in order to help their child succeed. A Parent's Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) could help support the promotion of understanding to parents with and without an ELN student.
During my time as a pre-service teacher and Leveled Literacy Intervention teacher, I have unfortunately seen several inclusive classrooms that were not properly managed. At the same time I have witnessed inclusive environments that were excellent and provided individualized learning to all students whether or not they were on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). More recently I was stationed in a second grade classroom with a child who is on the Autism Spectrum but has no IEP to follow. Based on previous (bad) experiences in an inclusive environment, the way the children accepted him into their classroom and helped him learn was overwhelming at times. The teacher is knowledgable and was able to provide as much differentiated instruction for that student during benchmarking and testing. In Education For All: Critical Issues in the Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities, Jimenez and Graf states that, “Teachers need to share what they experience in the classroom in terms of what works and does not work with parents, so that parents can try new ways of supporting their children’s learning at home.” (p. 67). As I continue to work as a reading interventionist in the city schools, I find this to be extremely important. As stated above, students are only in the classroom for so many hours a day and it is imperative that they continue to learn when they leave.
All educators and staff should try to establish and maintain an environment that is both supportive and positive. The student with the disability needs to feel as though they belong in the classroom in which they are learning. All children must have a strong social and emotional well-being in order to succeed. Teachers need to help non disabled peers in the classroom to better understand how to comprehend the needs of inclusive classmates. Cooperative group learning or team activities are encouraged as well as peer advocates, and overall discussions about the expectations with the students peers with the help of other school staff.
I have enjoyed reading your blog entry Ashley and found myself in agreement with most of your comments. I have never been an educator but I have been placed inside various different types of educational settings, both special and regular inclusion classrooms. I have witnessed negative aggressive and disruptive behaviors with my client that were brought into the classroom because of learned behaviors from siblings and peers from their home environment. I have worked with children with special needs in their home structure and also integrated them into their community in order to foster and model positive social interactions with other children. Students with special and exceptional learning needs are always adapting and growing to become integrated into a least restrictive environment with peers that they want to foster a positive relationship with. I have also witnessed positive experiences in an inclusive mainstreamed environment with my client in which the other students were welcoming and willing to assist the student and turn to me for support and guidance. I felt so proud of our educational system and the teachers and professionals that were there with open arms and positive praise and acceptance to assist the student with exceptional learning needs. Unfortunately, I have also seen negative experiences within the inclusive setting classroom that I would be placed with a different student with ELN special needs. I would witness my client (student with special needs) being ignored and even removed on multiple occasions whenever student was disruptive due to confusion with assignments. My client would become so adjusted to leaving (even though on his IEP it stated that there would be inclusions with both accommodations and restructuring) so that the student would feel a sense of accomplishment with being mainstreamed in the least restricted environment. I felt like my hands were tied because I was never an employee of the school system in which I was placed, but a professional of the agency that placed me. I would advocate on behalf of my client but was so frustrated myself because I had to do what my agency said due to they were in fear that the teacher would not want TSS in their classrooms. Most teachers did not view TSS workers with high respect and I would immediately encourage open communication and collaboration between all members involved with the student's IEP team and especially maintain communication with the parents of the student with ELN.
ReplyDeleteAccording to P.L 94-142 stated and I am in agreement with this law,that all students no matter their handicap or disability have a right to have an education by utilizing both state and local educational agencies to be accountable to enact services. (EAHCA,1975).
Students with Exceptional Learning Needs just want to be viewed and seen like their regular peers by obtaining a positive education so that they can live healthy and happy lives in the future as prosperous adults. It is up to us, as adults and professionals, to make sure that collaboration and open communication with everyone on the students IEP team is kept involved and especially never to leave out the parents and students concerns. They have a right to be heard and especially considered and implemented and remembered.
I have had some wonderful experiences with integration of ELN students into a general education classroom. When I worked as an intervention specialist tutor I was never looked at by other students as someone who "worked with special kids", there were times that I pulled my kids for testing or work and other students were asking if they could be part of our "group". It was the hardest thing to say no without explaining why the students needed my support. My students were widely accepted by all the teachers and students in the school and every effort was made to help them meet their goals. This experience is what made me what to come back to school as an intervention specialist. I understand how the experiences you have had are different based on the school environments but with people like the students in our graduate classes we are going to make a difference anywhere we end up.
ReplyDeleteThe same thing is happening to me now, Jamie! When the LLI reading tutors started back at the school, not all of the kids were benchmarked. While they did all of the testing and benchmarking, we were stationed in the classrooms to help out them out. In that week and a half we all created strong bonds with those students. When we didn't return to the classrooms because we were prepping our materials and getting ready to begin pulling groups, those kids didn't understand. When they see us, they ask if we are going to pull them for reading. I think the worst I have seen was last school year when a teacher continually shamed students in front of their peers. Their weaknesses were exposed and some of them were made fun of for it. Unfortunately that teacher still holds a job at that specific school. But I think you're right! Teachers like us will make a difference. It was that one bad experience that changed my direction in education because I want to make a change!! :)
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