Inclusion, is the
education of students with disabilities side by side in the general education
classroom with their non-disabled peers and it has been gaining popularity in
many school systems. The pros and cons list of inclusion is lengthy, from
concerns such as students with disabilities being ridiculed and bullied to
whether or not they will be learning life skills while in general education
settings. There is also the pro side where educators feel that when students
with disabilities are educated with their non-disabled peers there are benefits
to both disabled and non-disabled. These benefits may include non-disabled
students being more accepting of others and disabled peers feeling like they
are part of the group and not segregated. I have worked in the school system for
over 20 years and I have seen the pros and cons of inclusion, but I was unaware
of just how controversial inclusion is until reading this modules information.
As stated in our book
Education for All, Critical Issues in the Education of Children and Youth with
Disabilities “Inclusive schooling is an attempt to normalize disability by
eliminating the divide between special and general education” when I worked
with high school students I saw firsthand the pros and cons of inclusion, which
made me question my own thoughts on inclusion. When some of my students were
included in general education classrooms they were treated differently by their
non-disabled peers, as well as some of the teachers, this made them feel unwanted
and in turn they would act out so that they were kicked out of the classrooms
or sent back to the resource room because they were showing that they could not
be included in the general education setting. The cons were that the students
were able to build more friendships with their non-disabled peers and in turn
they sometimes felt more accepted, this made their moods better and helped
their self-esteem, because of this they were able to learn more effectively and
were not as disruptive as the students that did not feel accepted. I have
students flourish in inclusion settings and go on to graduate and become
productive members of societies. I have also seen students that ended up
getting further behind in school. Now that I work in a school that is full inclusion,
I mainly see the pros. Our school is a co-teach school, this model is able to
give students with disabilities more constant attention when it comes to IEP
goals and helps with closing the gap in their learning. It also helps students
work together and become more accepting of each other. Just like in the video “Are
you Happy? The Story of Morgan Warren” the students that have disabilities are
learning from their non-disabled peers, socially, academically and they are
also motivated to build relationships with them and they are not labeled.
One of the biggest
factors that I feel fuel the debate on inclusion is the fact the general
education teachers do not feel trained enough to include these students in
their classrooms. They feel that they are unprepared for some of the behaviors
and needs that these children have and this can make them feel uncomfortable
and judgmental of these students even if they do not mean to be. Another factor
that fuels this debate can be the students who are in inclusive classrooms that
succeed because the general education teachers and special education teachers
build a positive relationship to where they can work together successfully to
benefit the students (both disabled and non-disabled). I feel that inclusion in
the classroom as well as extra-curricular activities can be a positive thing
when done correctly, but all too often there are factors that may hinder the
success of the students. This debate will probably not end anytime soon, but I
feel that ending inclusion will have a negative effect on all involved. Keeping inclusion in school, I feel is the best things for all students.
Jennifer, your article was well written and I agree with some things you've mentioned. I do understand what you mean about general education teachers not feeling that they are trained to work with the special needs population. I have seen this through working in different schools and my own personal account. Before working at The Rich Center, my background of general education had not prepared me enough to work with all of the children. I learned through experience and training at the center. For a general education teacher it is a whole different world. Another point I agree with is that general and special education teachers need to work together for the student's benefit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience with inclusion at the high school level. It would be hard to watch students excluded by their disabled-peers and excluded. I am glad you now mainly see the pros as you co-teach and work in a school with full inclusion classrooms. I agree with you that inclusion is "a positive thing when done correctly" (Cika).
ReplyDeleteJennifer I think it is exciting that you are working in a school that has co-teaching in each classroom.It is nice to hear of local schools that get it right. I have also been in schools where the kids with the disabilities are not accepted and want to stay in the speciality classes where they are accepted.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog, I also agree that inclusion is a positive and beneficial environment for disabled students when done the proper way! I feel that it has its pro and cons as u stated above about students being treated differently in inclusion settings from peers and teachers. But students who are successfully educated in inclusion have higher self esteem, better moods, and build friendships. Often times non-disabled students help disabled students in inclusion settings, being around them more and spending time with each other's builds this relationship.
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