Krazy N' Kindergarten

Blog Post: The Interview Process and Inclusive Education

 

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. 

 

I am currently compiling the information and knowledge that I have gained from the literature reviews, discussions, and research conducted throughout this course in order to begin my major assessment project on inclusive education and the perceptions of special and regular education teachers.  One question that I face when compiling my information is whether or not a focus should be presented on the certain types of disabilities that are served within the inclusive classroom setting.  Could the disability types be the cause of negative perceptions toward inclusive classroom settings?  What factors are considered when deciding whether or not the inclusive classroom is, indeed, the least restrictive environment?