Let’s Talk Inclusive Ed

Morning! Bright and early- I hope everyone enjoys their day!

Often, I find myself reflecting on my practice, questions raised over the week, or education in general on quiet early mornings.

Today I am really focused on collaboration and the importance of collaborative practices on the success of IE.

I am trying to articulate in a concise matter what some of the challenges are, without finger pointing, & some of the successes. This post is TBC…..

What have you noticed?

Policies, documents, & new initiatives are all important- but are they really having the impact on our schools that one would hope…..

No!!! Of course they are necessary and important- but a well written policy has little impact on practice & front line.

Teachers, school-based admin, and support staff know their students best and understand the context of their school & community- why are Boards trying to centralize decision making?

Social media presence is not my strength! Wow - I cannot post annually, let alone daily 😆

Anyway- how are you doing? What has been on your mind (in terms of education)?

I have been thinking a lot about inclusion and inclusive education and why it is so easy to understand (and believe in), yet it never seems to be as easy to put into practice…… any ideas 💡???

With the new school year around the corner, reading and getting our children reading is on everyone’s mind! This programme is awesome to support our readers who need a little more help. I have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on tutoring and in person reading programs to help my own children read. Each of my kids has been pulled from class for additional support- it was this program that helped them succeed. The skills came together without stress and a whole lot of time!

**I do not like to promote products UNLESS I feel a personal and/or professional connection. This is a great way to teach your kids to read or to supplement what is happening at school.

Check it out!

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/990932724235224760/

❤️

Language- how we express our thoughts and insight informs others on our understanding of IE.

For example:

- referring to a school bus as the special needs bus informs others that you still see IE as an integrated special education program. Special needs students & mainstream students NOT students in a school accessing different supports.

- referring to a school bus as the accessible bus is better, but it still highlights that some students require accessibility and others do not (as a side note, everyone benefits from accessibility).

- referring to a school bus by its name is inclusive! We all know which students go on which bus, so calling the bus by its name (ie bus 211) makes sense! In this context, you are not grouping kids based on ability. Rather, you are just grouping kids by the bus they take.

Small change in wording with a HUGE impact.

You know what IE is and is not, so now we need to ensure we are using language to demonstrate this knowledge.

IE is an approach to teaching (not an add on!). Teaching inclusively means you believe it, you feel it, you speak it, you show it & your actions reflect it.

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Ok- listen up:

We all know the value of IE for all students. So what is the problem? Why can IE get a bad rep in practice (not in theory)?

It is simple- it’s because most systems aren’t doing it! They just keep adding on- a Frankenstein system- keep adding another thing to the traditional system.

Few things are going to be effective IF educators are viewing it as just ‘another thing’.

If we are not reflecting on the purpose of IE and planning for that purpose, it will be an uphill challenge- effectiveness will be low.

IE is an approach to education, not an add on.

Admin take note- before teachers can really plan for & support all students, you need to do a few things:

1) set the right context/ change the discourse

2) support your staff

3) attitude

PURPOSE:

what is the purpose of learning (for all students)? This question needs to be in the forefront of all planning.

Do we want our students to grow up to work & play in isolated environments OR do we want our students to learn how to work & play in social communities?

Following a traditional learning model, the purpose of education is to follow along with the grade level curriculum. If you struggle to do so, you are seen as having a deficit and this deficit needs to be targeted by adaptations or modifications. These adaptations & modifications are viewed as modes of fixing the student or filling in the blanks. Often, the support happens in a pull out model (at random times that do not make sense with the schedule). Students are then put back in class with little opportunity to practice those skills & concepts.

First- STUDENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE FIXED (they do need support, but they are not broken).

Second- Unlearn the traditional learning model. An IE approach just makes sense for all involved, especially out students.

Pulling students out to work on deficits or challenges assumes that those areas are not connected to any other area of the child’s learning or whole person. This is wrong- it teaches the wrong purpose.

When requiring support, our students often require it in various areas and across various context. Support in isolation is not going to be as effective as it could be in social settings.

Pulling students out pulls support staff away from other students who may not ‘qualify’ for additional support. Additional support in the room is helpful to all students- not just the one or two who meet the requirements of ‘pull out’.

A condition of being human is that we are social beings. This means we can thrive or dive in social settings. We want all our students to thrive in community (whatever that looks like)- they need to learn in the community, learn from one another, support one another- students are each others biggest assets.

I hate to point out the obvious, but if you want to ski you go to a snow covered hill- not a grassy field. We learn in the appropriate context.

In sum, instead of looking at learners as having deficits that need to be fixed, the purpose of education should remain focused on devepoping well rounded individuals who have the skills & strategies to particiapte and succeed in society.

What if we plan our lessons to ensure all our students can effectively contribute and participate in the learning community? What does that mean? It means we need to anticipate supports for the WHOLE group so all students can contribute and participate. We need to teach these supports and strategies to all students.

One of the most challenging barriers to overcome for IE to be realized is for staff to let go of ’what we always do’. What is the usual? The usual is planning for the curriculum, the norm, the large group of students who are in the ‘bell‘ or the median. THEN we plan something different or something in additional for students perceived to have a ‘deficit’. How stressful?

In an IE system, we plan differently. We look at the concept we are teaching and provide different access points for all students (based on your knowledge of the students & their challenges/strengths). You plan one lesson with a buffet of levels for your students.