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Inclusion in The Classroom Pages

This document discusses inclusivity in the classroom for exceptional students. It emphasizes that teachers should provide adaptations for exceptional students to fully participate in learning instead of seeing them as challenges. Teachers are responsible for improving students' physical, social, and academic experiences. To successfully include exceptional students, an interventionist perspective is needed using strategies like scaffolding and presuming competence. The goal is to slowly minimize supports as students gain skills and understanding. Teachers must determine students' learning abilities, set appropriate expectations, and engage with students on a personal level to help them succeed beyond their own expectations.

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39 views2 pages

Inclusion in The Classroom Pages

This document discusses inclusivity in the classroom for exceptional students. It emphasizes that teachers should provide adaptations for exceptional students to fully participate in learning instead of seeing them as challenges. Teachers are responsible for improving students' physical, social, and academic experiences. To successfully include exceptional students, an interventionist perspective is needed using strategies like scaffolding and presuming competence. The goal is to slowly minimize supports as students gain skills and understanding. Teachers must determine students' learning abilities, set appropriate expectations, and engage with students on a personal level to help them succeed beyond their own expectations.

Uploaded by

bohningm
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Inclusivity in the Classroom

Bronte Phillips

Inclusivity in an educational context is not something that can be viewed by the outside popula-

tion but rather, something that is felt and experienced by those exceptional students within our educa-

tional system. The term “exceptional students” is an umbrella term that describes anyone in grades K-12

who may need adaptations to their learning. Though these adaptations should not be seen as a challenge

to teachers but rather an opportunity to help fully integrate them and remove barriers that society has

placed on them, allowing them to participate fully in every aspect of school. Statistically, every grade,

class, and teacher will have a number of exceptional students every semester, similar to the 7-10 split con-

cept discussed by Shelley Moore.

Teachers are responsible for so much more than simply regurgitating curriculum and they have

the ability to vastly improve the physical and social lives of students as well as to improve the atmosphere

and content surrounding learning. In order to successfully welcome these exceptional students, an inter-

ventionist perspective is needed both in the classroom and out and teachers with bias’ such as that of,

naked independence, need not apply. As discussed in the reading, “Failure is Not an Option” and through

Shelley Moore’s “Presuming Competence”, the belief in the term “fairness” exists but must be elimi-

nated and be seen instead as a slice of layered cake or in other words, “everyone gets what they need” the

slice can be cut dependent on how much support one needs. Continuing what we have been doing is not

eliminating the achievement gap that has been created but early intervention can help.

Equality “support cake” should be given every year/term and by every teacher with the intent of

slowly minimizing the size given as the student gains skills, concepts and, understanding of the material.

These are also known as scaffolding and use a concept of RISE ( repeated opportunities, intensity, sys-

temic supports and, explicit skill focus) to help students take control and become less independent in their

learning. We are not hired to tell students what to do, when to do it and how to do it but to equip them

with; what to use, when to use it and how to use it in various applications. Gaining and keeping student

engagement is a critical aspect and assumptions regarding students and their exceptionalities must always
be left at the door, every student is entirely different and will need modifications based on themselves and

not others similar to them.

As teachers; we must determine their zone of proximal learning, presume competence in our stu-

dents and set expectations and goals for them. We are a bridge for them to have extended support from

their peers in the form of formal peer support programs. Peers and fellow students will naturally improve

things both socially and academically for exceptional students and as teachers, we need to be aware of

each situation and at times, work with parents, fellow educators, and other support personnel to allow for

maximum success. We can and should provide feedback when necessary and keep notes of what works

the best. Our students depend heavily on us for support and prior to this course, I was unaware of just

how many hats a teacher puts on in a regular school day.

The best teachers that I had were able to connect with me on a personal level, I also had amazing

teachers who allowed me to learn by teaching and helping my fellow peers.

I have always loved learning, languages and food, but I have always hated mathematics. Despite

my relationship with mathematics, my high school math teacher allowed me to learn the necessary con-

cepts in all of the ways I aspire to be, very similar to many questions discussed in the reading by Stacy

Crawford Bewley. She provided clear expectations, fair grading, a multitude of instructional supports, and

knew many of her students’ learner profiles and preferences. Lastly, she engaged with students by learn-

ing about them and sharing information about herself, earning their respect, and encouraging them to be

the best that they can. Combining these techniques, scaffolds, and presuming competence allowed most

students in her class to not just succeed, but to succeed greatly and confidently beyond what they thought

they could. This is what makes a teacher amazing and this course has shown me all of the things that we

can do to help ourselves become amazing to help our students accomplish goals beyond their expecta-

tions.

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