Inclusive education presents many challenges for educators. With the implementation of common core
standards, the No Child Left Behind Act, and standardized assessments,
educators have had more stress added to their daily routines. This leaves to question, what are the
perceptions of teachers, special and regular education, regarding inclusive classroom
settings? I have had the opportunity to
interview three educators in order to support my topic for the major assessment
within my doctorate course. The
interviewees include the director of special education within my county, a
special needs educator, and a regular educator.
These educators presented me with a wealth of information regarding
inclusive education and their perspectives on special needs children within the
regular classroom setting.
One response to an interview question stated, “One of my first
assumptions was that as educators we are the experts in our field. However,
over time I've grown to understand that many of our families of students with
disabilities are also experts as they've spent much more time and many hours of
research for their child's specific disability. How has this changed over time?
Trying to convey that to my peers while maintaining a balance as experts as
well is probably one of the most challenging because we can most often
visualize the "big" picture from an educational standpoint, whereas
many of our parents are unable to do so.”
Educators need to understand the importance of parental
involvement and encourage this type of behavior within their classroom
environments. Parents can prove to be a
valuable tool for regular education teachers as well as special educators, with
the knowledge that they have about their own child’s disability. My interviewee emphasized the importance of
embracing the families each school year; although educators are considered
experts in the field, they must also understand that different perspectives can
become visible when these opinions are voiced.
Equipped with this valuable knowledge, an educator can work toward
building positive social change within the educational environment by embracing
all points of view and encouraging involvement in order to better serve all
students whether they be special needs or regular education students.
I feel that the interview process was very successful. The interviewees that I chose for my project
were readily available via e-mail, as well as in-person. These individuals felt comfortable sharing
their true feelings with me about the topic of inclusion. This openness and honesty adds integrity to
my final project because only when true ability, feelings, and confidence
toward inclusion is shared, positive changes can be made in this area in order
to better prepare our educators for this type of classroom environment.
