Sandra Zeman-Blog Post #3-Inclusion

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about inclusion is the concerns that come along with it.  Although there are concerns for the students, which should be the primary concern; there are also concerns for the teachers.  We see some of these concerns in the video Am I Happy.  Teachers have a valid point that not all students are able to learn the same curriculum and standards. (Are You Happy 2007)  However, as difficult as it sounds, it can be done well in practice.  I have witnessed many inclusive classrooms where the class works as a unit and you can genuinely not differentiate between the disabled and nondisabled students. 

My current teaching position is working as the intervention specialist in an inclusive classroom.  We have 12 disabled students in the classroom.  The irony of this classroom is that it is also the assigned class for students who are gifted.  I know this may sound extreme.  I was not sure how it would possibly work to provide an appropriate education to such a variety of learners.  I have been pleasantly surprised.  I work with all students in the classroom, not just the disabled students.  An added benefit is that I can also provide enrichment to the gifted students.  According to the article,  Inclusion Pros and Cons, inclusion is the best practice for students with disabilities to show growth in social interaction, language development, and positive behavior. 

So I am an inclusion advocate.  However, there are many things that need to be right for inclusion practice to work properly.  The first things is that the regular classroom teacher needs to have support.  There has to be an intervention specialist that either spends much of the time on the classroom or serves as a resource to the classroom teacher.  The second thing is that students must be properly placed in an inclusion setting classroom.  Although the goal is for students to be in the least restrictive environment, inclusion is not right for all students.  If a student would not benefit the most from inclusion, it is not the right place for them.  This can mean that a student is in an inclusion class for reading and self contained for math.  It is all about what the child needs.  The other important thing in ensuring a successful inclusion setting is to have a cooperative regular classroom teacher.  They should be provided with training and also be willing to accept the responsibility of working with disabled and nondisabled students.  If a classroom teacher is not comfortable and confident, the students will not benefit from inclusion.

The most important thing to remember is that inclusion is a type of educational setting, it is not a physical place!