“For the majority of students with learning disabilities, the
least restrictive environment for all or most of the school day is the regular
education classroom attended by their same-age peers. The movement toward full
inclusion of all students with disabilities in regular classrooms, however, has
many professionals and advocates for students with learning disabilities
worried. They think that although the full-inclusion movement is based on
strong beliefs and has the best intentions at heart, little research supports
it.” (Heward, 2010, para. 1).
Students with disabilities are being mainstreamed into the regular
education classroom within today’s educational school systems. The inclusion of these students presents many
challenges for regular education teachers.
Educators strive to accommodate to the individual needs of all students
within their classroom; however, many teachers are not equipped with the
knowledge and experiences to handle students with disabilities within the
regular education classroom.
As a regular education teacher with a master’s degree in special
education, I feel it necessary to expand the knowledge base of the inclusion
impacts on students, as well as educators. An educator’s attitude toward inclusion is
critical in order for successful implementation of inclusion based
classrooms. Collaboration between
regular education teachers and special education teachers also proves to be a
large component to the success of an inclusion program. The purpose of this study is to identify the
attitudes and perspectives of regular education teachers and special education
teachers, as well as ways in which inclusion practice can be improved within the
early childhood environment.
“The collective message of research on outcomes for students with
learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms and other settings is consistent
with the findings for students with other disabilities: the location in which a
student is taught is not as important as the quality of instruction that
student receives.” (Heward, 2010,
para. 4). This emphasizes the
importance of further research on the impact of inclusion settings on disabled
students as well as teachers’ attitudes toward this type of classroom
setting.
References
Kerri,
ReplyDeleteI think your study is a great idea. I think many classroom teachers struggle with how to help the mainstreamed students within the classroom. I think you are correct it starts with the teachers attitudes and how effective they will be working with those children. My cousin is a special education teacher and she says all the time that the classroom teacher always send the special needs student back to her whenever they are having a hard time with the student. I know that large class sizes can make it difficult for the teacher to deal with everything in the classroom, but I also think it is easier to send the child back to the special education classroom compared to using strategies to make the children feel a part of the regular classroom. Your students are so lucky. When you write about what is happening in your classroom it makes me wish my children would have been so lucky as to have you as their classroom teacher.
We were lucky my children all had at least one "special" teacher in their elementary years that made a lasting impact on them and who they are today. My daughter Jordan that is in law school now had a teacher in 1st and the beginning of 2nd grade before we moved that still sends us Christmas cards to this day because she and Jordan developed such a strong bond with each other. I am sure there is some mother out there saying the same kind of thing about you.
Glad to learn with you and from you.
Jill
Jill,
DeleteThank you so much for the words of encouragement! I am really looking forward to this study. I have three students in my class this year that are in a collaborative situation. I have them in my room for science and social studies time only. They can be difficult at times, but the special needs teacher that I work with is awesome! She is incredibly involved and we know we can count on each other! Again, thanks for the encouraging words and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning with you as well! What a great support system we have!
Kerri
You have chosen a very interested topic. Many people believe it is not possible to have an effective inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms.Do you think students with severe disabilities especially the ones with challenging behaviors have a negative impact on children without disabilities? I believe that inclusion is is crucial and helps children to learn accept diversity. I believe that using teaching techniques such tactile and kinesthetic learning for hands-on activities and multiple responses options will increase the participation of both students with disabilities and without disabilities.
ReplyDeleteNormalyn,
DeleteI believe that collaborative settings can have negative and./or positive effects on children without disabilities. Being a co-lab teacher myself this school year, I can see how the dynamics of my classroom change when the three students that I serve for science and social studies return to the room. It takes a joint effort on the teachers end, special and regular ed. It also takes training on the kids part as well. My students love to "help" their friends when they participate in activities, etc.
Kerri
Hi Kerri:
ReplyDeleteI think you have selected a challenge that is very important and needs to be highlighted to maximize learning opportunities and potential for all students. I agree that in order for inclusion classrooms to be successful, attitude is critical because the teacher set the tone for the learning environment. I also think that it is important to provide educators will collaborative strategies and clarity on the term "inclusion" so that students truly benefit from the setting.