In an entry on Life on the Other Side of the Teachers Desk, a writer who identifies her- or himself as “deltasleep” reports on experiences during student teaching. There are several posts worthy of note, but I want to call attention to one about about how inclusion is practiced in the school to which deltasleep is assigned. Deltasleep is assigned to a regular-education 5th grade classroom that includes many students with disabilities.
I’ve not even started teaching yet and I’ve already got a real curveball! “Inclusion” is a special education term used to describe the process of providing special education students with the “least restrictive environment.” This typically means that a special education student attends a “typical” class.
TN classrooms(and probably others) have found a way to circumvent this by dumping all of the special education students in a grade into one class. Teachers call this the “inclusion class.” I find this practice totally abhorrent, as it is clearly a way to circumvent a law designed to help students.
I am surprised by this policy. I have to wonder to what extent deltasleep’s characterization of the situation represents it accurately, but if there is such a policy, it doesn’t align with sensible plans about promoting students educational outcomes. I hope that deltasleep will get a chance to (a) determine whether this actually is TN policy and (b) examine the effects on student learning and behavior closely and objectively.
Read the full entry and others at i>Life on the Other Side of the Teachers Desk.
Sphere: Related Content
Inclusion does not mean a place where special ed kids are allowed to participate. They should have the opportunities to learn curriculum material. Schools should be open to teach all students and think about that when designing curriculum. The curriculum can have flexibility while getting all goals accomplished. Look at Plan For a Successful Inclusion Program at http://www.naesp.org