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
The thoughts you have forwarded about inclusive education clearly demonstrate your position in terms of having classrooms be inclusive of all students. According to the authors, having students with special needs placed in the regular setting provides a more inclusive model that promotes peer interaction and uses less resources than would otherwise be the case.
Some of the questions that come up for teachers about this stance are: If a student is very aggressive and the safety of others may be compromised, how much support is needed per classroom and playground to ensure the safety of that student and others? Will a student with a severe intellectual disability see themselves as part of the classroom community even though they have are aware of their differences within that setting? Will he/she feel successful and will there be an exclusion of that student by other students? Will a student who has a physical disability, non verbal, vocalizes with loud sounds throughout the classroom day and requires one to one care be an included member of the classroom and peer group? What if there is not enough funding and support in the classroom to give time to all of the students with special needs? Is differentiated instruction enough and can the classroom teacher manage the programs for all of them?
These are just examples of the many questions that teachers have and are often given as reasons for resource rooms which have more than one adult in the room and far fewer students allowing for much more individual time and attention. It would be interesting for you to find articles that pertain to this stance as well.