As I sit down to write this blog post, I am troubled by a
conversation I had with my uncle yesterday. You see, my Uncle Chuck has been
teaching for close to forty years in both public and private education systems.
Every time we get together he likes to share with me all of his experiences
with the students diagnosed with autism in his school. I never mind discussing
this with him, but this time he said something that really struck a nerve with
me. Perhaps it was because of our recent discussions in class regarding
inclusion and the like, but I didn’t like it. My uncle told me a story about
this young teen boy in the class room across from his room that was making a
lot of noise. I guess he was screaming
and generally being very disruptive in the hallway. Then, the student proceeded
to escalate his disruptive behavior by opening my uncles class room lockers and
messing them up quite a bit. Here’s where I get bothered by this story. After
40 years in the field, my uncle decides at that moment that the best thing to
do is go into the hallway and yell at the child with ASD, as if in the middle
of a meltdown, this student is going to be able to regulate his behavior and
just stop. So, I’m sitting there in my dining room looking at him wondering
what and how to say anything at this moment without seeming like a young,
college know-it-all. Unfortunately, I don’t have to say anything because my
uncle then says he wishes they would get “them” out of his area and let him
teach. WOW!!!! And there it is!!! The point of this story in one statement: ”Get
them out of my area and let me teach.” As long as general education teachers
continue to have the attitude that children with special needs are a burden or
are too disruptive, inclusion will continue to flop around like a fish out of
water. Personally, from my experience, it seems like they aren’t trained
adequately to handle the needs of children with various disabilities.
Obviously, I am generalizing a lot and I admit there are plenty of talented
educators out there that do a fabulous job with the students they have in all-inclusive
settings. However, generally speaking more times than not, Gen. Ed. Teachers
will tell you that unless they get support in the form of an aide or
co-teacher, they would rather not go the way of inclusion. Again, you asked for my perspective. When you
read these books and see articles online, it sometimes appears that things are
working out. They highlight a few success stories and attempt to convince you
that mainstreaming your child is the way to go. In theory, I whole-heartedly
agree with that notion. However, having witnessed many, many families go
through the struggles of having their child being bullied year after year for
being different, I have my reservations about supporting it. Additionally,
there’s always a concern with the student falling behind academically if they
aren’t provided the right amount of support.
I realize my point of view is very pessimistic.
Unfortunately, that’s how my experience has shaped my attitude and behavior regarding
inclusion. My hope, if there is one, is that going through this graduate
program will reshape my attitude and convince me that there is a chance for
inclusion as a model to be successful in our school systems. Also, we need old
timers like my uncle to retire and move out of the way for more open-minded and
willing teachers to make this work.
Thank you for being so honest with your post. While I was deeply saddened by the post, I have also heard educators and parents of typical peers speak like this. Perhaps it's because I have had the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with individuals and families of individuals with special needs, that I feel that inclusion is so important. I hear the personal stories from families and individuals. Continuing education for educators on students with special needs may be helpful to shed light on inclusion. After only a few weeks in this class, I have more stories,videos and articles of why society needs to embrace individuals with special needs. None of us are perfect, we all have needs and we all have special gifts to share with society. I know I am a better person for having different people in my life. I am trying to impart that same blessing on my children. As I stated in my post, I teach a Sunday School class for adults with special needs. When I first starting bringing my young children with me to help, I think they were a little scared. It sparked many conversations over the years. But now, after years of coming with me, their perspective is different. They are not only more empathetic to others, they see how relationships with our friends with special needs are rewarding and reciprocal.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate and sad that some educators lack the essential knowledge on how to manage and deescalate a student having an aggressive behavior outburst. Probably the worst thing you can do is to start yelling at a student. This will just make them more anxious. In my previous school, I would hear a lot of teachers complaining about disruptive students in the classroom. Many times teachers would bring the students to the clinic to calm down. The students usually did well with this. The clinic is a safe zone for them where they know they will not be bullied or ridiculed. Many of my frequent flier students will come down when they are feeling overwhelmed and sometimes a few minutes in the clinic and a kind word will be enough to help them regroup.
ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteI understand your view on this. I have limited experience in the school system but I have worked with adults in community living arrangements. We were required to complete programs with them and some were in the public and more times than not, sadly, someone would make a nasty remark or make fun of my individuals. I feel the saddest part is that many that made comments were not kids but older people who were closed minded and not able to accept the individuals.
Anthony, it was great to hear that story about you and your uncle because it is true. A lot of general educators feel that exact way about inclusion and we mainly read the good stories about inclusion. Not many articles are posted about how people and teachers don't like inclusion. Having said that, I believe that they have had negative experiences with it therefore it is hard to show that the quality of inclusion. They are not trained the correct way, or assisted by others which can be a struggle for them. I believe we need to show them, first hand, how it effects the classroom in a positive light. Reading about it in articles only does do much. It goes back to the saying, actions speak louder than words. Once this happens, I believe more and more general education teachers will change their mindset and realize inclusion is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a more accurate truth surface in an educational course. I'm sure it has to do with people being afraid to offend anyone but if we aren't looking at education from this angle then we are never going to fix the problem. There are way too many people out there like your uncle. I've personally sat in a teacher's lounge full of them. They look at kids like numbers and data for their own gains. The No Child Left Behind Act was good in theory but look how many kids are in reality slipping through the cracks and failing. Inclusion is a fantastic theory but there's not enough people to get on board to make it successful. I overheard something you said in class in a discussion with Dr. Lewis and it was beyond accurate- that the ones who get hurt along the way are the kids. We have to look at all of the negative surrounding the topic and we need to accept that some people are set in their ways and will never try to make it work. As long as schools keep holding on to these kinds of educators, they will always fail to follow the guidelines for successful inclusion. Your passion in the field is a spark that could eventually lead to a large fire to fight for understanding and compassion for these students!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashley. That's very nice of you to say.
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