Monthly Archives: February 2016

Together We Learn Better:

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In order for a classroom to create an inclusive environment for all students especially those with special needs, it is important to have a school that supports and encourages inclusive practices.  The journey to becoming an Inclusive School may be long and challenging, but ultimately this journey can strengthen a school community and benefit ALL children. It would support and encourage inclusion for all classrooms as well. 
Here are some ways in which inclusive educational practices build a school’s capacity to educate all learners effectively.

One of the most important principles of inclusive education is that no two learners are alike, and so inclusive schools place great importance on creating opportunities for students to learn and be assessed in a variety of ways. Certainly this enhances the way in which educators provide supports and accommodations for students with disabilities, but it also diversifies the educational experience of all students (Ferguson,  Desjarlais, Meyer, & Education Development Center., 2000).

Another important factor in effective inclusive education is the implementation of consistent behavioral supports throughout the learning environment.  This consistency is essential for the success of students with emotional or behavioral needs in the general education environment, but school-wide behavioral supports also help to establish high expectations throughout the school community as a whole (Ferguson et al., 2000).

In the past, special education often involved the segregation of students with special needs for the purpose of specialized instruction (Ferguson et al., 2000).  Not only does that model of special education in a separate setting deprive students with special needs of interaction with their peers and full access to the curriculum, it can also involve duplicate systems and resources that are costly for schools to maintain.  Inclusive education can make more efficient use of a school’s resources by maximizing the availability of staff and materials for all students (Ferguson et al., 2000).

To read more about benefits of inclusive education for all students, check out ‘Improving Education: The Promise of Inclusive Schooling.’  This paper is an excellent resource for educators looking to improve and expand inclusive educational practices in their schools.  It was developed by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement and it includes examples of inclusive educational environments, assessment and observation tools, and guidelines for supporting inclusive practices.

Ferguson, D. L., Desjarlais, A., Meyer, G., & Education Development Center, Newton, MA. National Inst. for Urban School Improvement. (2000). Improving education: The promise of inclusive schooling

Weekly School Visit:

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This week’s practicum day was eventful and memorable. I started the morning teaching a math lesson per usual up until recess time. This particular math lesson was different from the other ones I’ve been teaching because I decided to personalize the lesson and not follow everything from the teacher’s guide. Most importantly, I did not have the students use their heavy and distracting textbooks!  I used the teacher’s guide for some of its valuable content and main ideas and of course topic but I decided to change the activities to make it more appealing for the students and for myself since I had to teach it. I was very pleased with how the lesson went and the atmosphere of the classroom was calm and quite positive. I had the students work in pairs and be able to use the classroom for their learning activity. My SA’s feedback was very positive as well. I really like how she doesn’t interfere with my lessons and even if she is in the classroom watching my lesson, she allows me to take care of the behaviors of the students unless it is dangerous or extremely disrespectful. For the afternoon we had a field trip to an Alice in Wonderland play in a nearby high school. I hadn’t anticipated much because I was never a huge fan of plays but I was completely blown away. It was the most fascinating, engaging and well done play I have ever seen. I was so grateful I had the opportunity to experience that and the students had absolutely loved it and I witnessed smiles and laughter throughout the entire play. All the actors were singers, acrobats, and dancers and there was so much talent in the room which was inspiring and thrilling to watch.

It was interesting to hear all the conversation that was going on among all the elementary students who were inside a big high school. They were discussing how one day they will get to attend this high school or another one, and they were giggling throughout the conversation. When we are younger we all want to be grown up yet when we become older, we wish to be younger. Some students watched a few high school students walking in a particular way and automatically labelled them as the “cool students.” I asked the kids why they had made that particular association and they said because of the way they walked. With baggy jeans and shoulders leaning back. I wasn’t shocked that even young grade 3 kids would make a connection like that because of what society has ingrained in them. I told the students that everyone is “cool” in their own way and that the way a person walks or dresses does not determine their status and they just nodded and agreed.

I look forward to continuing teaching math and learning new ideas and strategies along the way.

Be a Creative Teacher..

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I have come across a fascinating book titled “Creative learning for inclusion: Creative approaches to meet special needs in the classroom” by Edward Sellman that really captures the essence of inclusion in the classroom of students with special needs. Everything about this book (by the titles and sub headings) looks intriguing and noteworthy. Unfortunately I have not managed to read the entire book but I found a particular chapter that I will discuss for this post. The chapter on ‘Creative Approaches to Inclusion’ really caught my attention. This chapter was also very long and therefore I have focused on one aspect to give an overview on. Although there are many factors that are required for adopting creativity in the classroom, one factor that was important and that stood out to me was being a creative teacher. This resonates with me as an aspiring teacher therefore I chose to briefly discuss it. I have not read all the case studies in order to obtain practical creative solutions or activities that can be implemented in the classroom but the idea of being creative is so powerful on its own. Just like the new curriculum promotes, it’s really up to each unique and inventive teacher to come up with their own ideas of what creativity means. It varies for all.

Given the challenges faced by those working with special needs individuals and groups, creative approaches and solutions often have to be found in order to meet students’ every day needs and/or to translate conventional curriculum and teaching methods into formats and approaches that will “work” with them ( Sellman, 2013).  As a result, the special needs teacher can create or adapt a multitude of artefacts: the visual timetable to support the needs of children with autism or ADHD, the multitude of communicational aids, the sand tray to reinforce multi-sensory approaches to spelling and so on (Sellman, 2013). Many of these “creations” have often found their way into mainstream context as what turns out to be effective for individuals with special needs is also often more generally effective (Sellman, 2013).

A creative teacher is also a critical teacher. They are critical of what they teach and always look for ways to expand their way of teaching. Such a teacher understands that the field of special needs is often controversial and often asks critical and perhaps difficult questions to broaden their understanding. Example questions include ‘Is a student being educated in the most suitable place/group?’, ‘Is their current provision adequately meeting their needs?’ If it isn’t, ‘How can this practice be improved in their best interests?’ (Sellman, 2013).

I will continue reading this book and take away useful techniques and ideas that will be helpful for all teachers. Below is the citation of the book if anyone is interested in reading.

Sellman, E., & Ebooks Corporation. (2012;2013;2011;).Creative learning for inclusion: Creative approaches to meet special needs in the classroom. New York; Abingdon [U.K.];: Routledge. Doi:10.4324/9780203818145

 

Weekly School Visits..

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This week I continued teaching Math but also decided to teach Second Step as well. It was just a suggestion made my SA and it sounded fair so I agreed with it. I taught both lessons back to back starting with Second Step. I made sure to add some brain breaks in between and although I had until recess for both lessons, I didn’t have enough time to complete Math. My main SA was only there until lunch and my other SA was absent so we had a TOC come for the afternoon. I felt that I needed to finish the math lesson so that the students could fully grasp the content therefore I asked if I can have just 20 minute to complete it. Both my SA and the TOC had agreed and squeezed math into the afternoon schedule. Overall, the lessons went per usual which minor interruptions and disturbances but fairly well. I will continue teaching math every school visit and another lesson as well. I was hoping to transition from Second Step to Mind Up by next week or so but unsure of my decision yet. I really hope I can use Mind Up to help students understand the idea of mindfulness and its association with the brain. I am a little nervous jumping into Mind Up only because I hope I can teach it as well as its supposed to be taught and I hope the students really grasp the idea of it without forgetting it or being confused by it. It’s also difficult for the students and myself because I am not always there and they would only hear of it once a week, so perhaps I can save it until my ten week practicum to introduce it. I am still unsure.

The rest of the afternoon went well and one of our other students was moving schools so we had a small surprise for her. Near the end of my math lesson, the Education Assistant of the student leaving had brought cake and I completely lost the kids once they saw the cake. I quickly wrapped up the math lesson and we all enjoyed the cake and said our goodbyes. The classroom is going to feel emptier without that student but I hope they transition well into their new school.

I am looking forward to continuing my math lessons and expanding my knowledge and trying new things as I continue my teaching journey.