Hello there. I am a pre-service teacher looking for some advice. In my Diversity and Inclusion class, we had to come up with a heuristic question and see what others thought. Here is my question and any replies would be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!!!How can I include a student, with a handicap, in a classroom of other children, and meet the needs of all the students in the class?
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
A very wise person told me,”Fair is giving each person what he/she NEEDS!” That has always been my philosophy in my classrooms, but I had never had anyone express it so well in words. No matter what the student’s disability, there are many ways to include a student without having to single that student out. All I can do is give you a couple of examples of what I do. I am the special ed. department chair at our high school and teach both biology and math inclusion classes.In Biology: I take all notes as the students do. These are then available for any student to copy. (Those that are lousy note takers, were absent, just didn’t bother—it doesn’t matter. All students may use my notes. One student even borrows them and tape records them. I know of teachers that duplicate the notes for the students, which is fine, but I prefer the students have more of a chance of remembering the information after reading and writing them on their own.)During lab, the classroom teacher and I both circulate from lab group to lab group helping anyone that needs help. We also do much group work so the students tend to help each other. (Their grade does not depend on the group work, but rather what they do towards that group work in relation to that student’s capabilities.) I pretty much stemmed the “That’s not fair!” complaint at the very beginning of the year. For 3 days (that’s how long it took for everyone to show up for at least one class) students had to remove glasses and contacts, were allowed no help from anyone for any reason, they were required to use their non-dominant hand and were asked to insert words in sentences to garble their language output when speaking to other students. The students soon learned what it was like to have different needs and no longer concerned themselves with which students were receiving more help.Math is pretty much the same. Notes are available to all, I help any and all students that need help and the special needs students are not identified. In fact, I have spent more time helping 3 non-disabled students than disabled students in this class. Everyone may have the tests read to them if they wish. Hope this helps.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
I applaud you. It sounds like you have a real understanding of a disability.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Marma,
Thank you for a very insightful response. I, too, know it can be done, but it will take people like yourself. I appreciate you and don’t even know you.
I am an E.C. teacher at middle school level.
Thanks,
AnnMarma wrote:
>
> A very wise person told me,”Fair is giving each person
> what he/she NEEDS!” That has always been my philosophy
> in my classrooms, but I had never had anyone express it so
> well in words. No matter what the student’s disability, there
> are many ways to include a student without having to single
> that student out. All I can do is give you a couple of
> examples of what I do. I am the special ed. department chair
> at our high school and teach both biology and math inclusion
> classes.In Biology: I take all notes as the students do.
> These are then available for any student to copy. (Those that
> are lousy note takers, were absent, just didn’t bother—it
> doesn’t matter. All students may use my notes. One student
> even borrows them and tape records them. I know of teachers
> that duplicate the notes for the students, which is fine, but
> I prefer the students have more of a chance of remembering
> the information after reading and writing them on their
> own.)During lab, the classroom teacher and I both circulate
> from lab group to lab group helping anyone that needs help.
> We also do much group work so the students tend to help each
> other. (Their grade does not depend on the group work, but
> rather what they do towards that group work in relation to
> that student’s capabilities.) I pretty much stemmed the
> “That’s not fair!” complaint at the very beginning
> of the year. For 3 days (that’s how long it took for everyone
> to show up for at least one class) students had to remove
> glasses and contacts, were allowed no help from anyone for
> any reason, they were required to use their non-dominant hand
> and were asked to insert words in sentences to garble their
> language output when speaking to other students. The students
> soon learned what it was like to have different needs and no
> longer concerned themselves with which students were
> receiving more help.Math is pretty much the same. Notes are
> available to all, I help any and all students that need help
> and the special needs students are not identified. In fact, I
> have spent more time helping 3 non-disabled students than
> disabled students in this class. Everyone may have the tests
> read to them if they wish. Hope this helps.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
I too am involved with inclusion and I love the statement so much that it is in every classroom I go into.”fair means that each person gets what he needs” no more no less. I find that many times the general education kids are quicker to ask me for help than the regular ed teacher. I guess that they do not perceive me as a threat. I often work with students other than my own, and I enjoy doing so. I think that is the purpose of inclusion- respecting diversity and realizing that different students need assistance at different times. The middle school learner typically goes through various stages of learning and may need extra support. I even have several regular education students who just come to me to give them their tests. This alleviates much of their test anxiety. I enjoy having all students feel like they can come to me, and an added bonus is that it makes the students I actually serve less apprehensive about seeking help. I provide modifications for students on SST which is helpful to the general educator too. We are very flexible and do whatever works.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Hello! My name is Yonna Daniel and I am a Head Start Center Supervisor and a graduate student at Georgia Southwestern State University (Special Educations—B.D.). At the center that I am employed, we look first at the needs to the child with the disability and the needs of the children without disabilities. Then we consider how to make adaptations, modifications and how to structure the classroom . I know for a fact that all the children in the class will adapt to the child with the disability. The only people that have a problem adapting are the teachers.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Marma,
Thank you for sharing your ideas on “That’s not Fair.” I am wanting to teach a lesson on acceptance of students with disabilities to a mainstream classroom. Your ideas are helpful. However, I was wondering if you would have the time to share the ideas in more detail. I am a junior in college, and am doing my practicum training in a 5th grade classroom. There is one student in particular that I am designing my lesson around. She is a new student, and is having a hard time fitting in. She is below grade level in all subjects and often needs help from the teacher. My goal for this assingment is to develop empathy and understanding from the rest of the students, so that they will be more accepting of persons with disabilities.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
: Hello there. I am a pre-service teacher looking for some advice. In
: my Diversity and Inclusion class, we had to come up with a
: heuristic question and see what others thought. Here is my
: question and any replies would be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!!!: How can I include a student, with a handicap, in a classroom of other
: children, and meet the needs of all the students in the class?Dear Pre-Service Teacher,Your question is a rather broad one. What kind of imagined handicap does this student have? How you work to include this student while yet meeting the needs of other students depends on the kind of challenge your included student has.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
A very wise person told me,”Fair is giving each person what he/she NEEDS!” That has always been my philosophy in my classrooms, but I had never had anyone express it so well in words. No matter what the student’s disability, there are many ways to include a student without having to single that student out. All I can do is give you a couple of examples of what I do. I am the special ed. department chair at our high school and teach both biology and math inclusion classes.In Biology: I take all notes as the students do. These are then available for any student to copy. (Those that are lousy note takers, were absent, just didn’t bother—it doesn’t matter. All students may use my notes. One student even borrows them and tape records them. I know of teachers that duplicate the notes for the students, which is fine, but I prefer the students have more of a chance of remembering the information after reading and writing them on their own.)During lab, the classroom teacher and I both circulate from lab group to lab group helping anyone that needs help. We also do much group work so the students tend to help each other. (Their grade does not depend on the group work, but rather what they do towards that group work in relation to that student’s capabilities.) I pretty much stemmed the “That’s not fair!” complaint at the very beginning of the year. For 3 days (that’s how long it took for everyone to show up for at least one class) students had to remove glasses and contacts, were allowed no help from anyone for any reason, they were required to use their non-dominant hand and were asked to insert words in sentences to garble their language output when speaking to other students. The students soon learned what it was like to have different needs and no longer concerned themselves with which students were receiving more help.Math is pretty much the same. Notes are available to all, I help any and all students that need help and the special needs students are not identified. In fact, I have spent more time helping 3 non-disabled students than disabled students in this class. Everyone may have the tests read to them if they wish. Hope this helps.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
I applaud you. It sounds like you have a real understanding of a disability.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Marma,
Thank you for a very insightful response. I, too, know it can be done, but it will take people like yourself. I appreciate you and don’t even know you.
I am an E.C. teacher at middle school level.
Thanks,
AnnMarma wrote:
>
> A very wise person told me,”Fair is giving each person
> what he/she NEEDS!” That has always been my philosophy
> in my classrooms, but I had never had anyone express it so
> well in words. No matter what the student’s disability, there
> are many ways to include a student without having to single
> that student out. All I can do is give you a couple of
> examples of what I do. I am the special ed. department chair
> at our high school and teach both biology and math inclusion
> classes.In Biology: I take all notes as the students do.
> These are then available for any student to copy. (Those that
> are lousy note takers, were absent, just didn’t bother—it
> doesn’t matter. All students may use my notes. One student
> even borrows them and tape records them. I know of teachers
> that duplicate the notes for the students, which is fine, but
> I prefer the students have more of a chance of remembering
> the information after reading and writing them on their
> own.)During lab, the classroom teacher and I both circulate
> from lab group to lab group helping anyone that needs help.
> We also do much group work so the students tend to help each
> other. (Their grade does not depend on the group work, but
> rather what they do towards that group work in relation to
> that student’s capabilities.) I pretty much stemmed the
> “That’s not fair!” complaint at the very beginning
> of the year. For 3 days (that’s how long it took for everyone
> to show up for at least one class) students had to remove
> glasses and contacts, were allowed no help from anyone for
> any reason, they were required to use their non-dominant hand
> and were asked to insert words in sentences to garble their
> language output when speaking to other students. The students
> soon learned what it was like to have different needs and no
> longer concerned themselves with which students were
> receiving more help.Math is pretty much the same. Notes are
> available to all, I help any and all students that need help
> and the special needs students are not identified. In fact, I
> have spent more time helping 3 non-disabled students than
> disabled students in this class. Everyone may have the tests
> read to them if they wish. Hope this helps.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
I too am involved with inclusion and I love the statement so much that it is in every classroom I go into.”fair means that each person gets what he needs” no more no less. I find that many times the general education kids are quicker to ask me for help than the regular ed teacher. I guess that they do not perceive me as a threat. I often work with students other than my own, and I enjoy doing so. I think that is the purpose of inclusion- respecting diversity and realizing that different students need assistance at different times. The middle school learner typically goes through various stages of learning and may need extra support. I even have several regular education students who just come to me to give them their tests. This alleviates much of their test anxiety. I enjoy having all students feel like they can come to me, and an added bonus is that it makes the students I actually serve less apprehensive about seeking help. I provide modifications for students on SST which is helpful to the general educator too. We are very flexible and do whatever works.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Hello! My name is Yonna Daniel and I am a Head Start Center Supervisor and a graduate student at Georgia Southwestern State University (Special Educations—B.D.). At the center that I am employed, we look first at the needs to the child with the disability and the needs of the children without disabilities. Then we consider how to make adaptations, modifications and how to structure the classroom . I know for a fact that all the children in the class will adapt to the child with the disability. The only people that have a problem adapting are the teachers.
Re: Teaching in an Inclusive classroom
Marma,
Thank you for sharing your ideas on “That’s not Fair.” I am wanting to teach a lesson on acceptance of students with disabilities to a mainstream classroom. Your ideas are helpful. However, I was wondering if you would have the time to share the ideas in more detail. I am a junior in college, and am doing my practicum training in a 5th grade classroom. There is one student in particular that I am designing my lesson around. She is a new student, and is having a hard time fitting in. She is below grade level in all subjects and often needs help from the teacher. My goal for this assingment is to develop empathy and understanding from the rest of the students, so that they will be more accepting of persons with disabilities.
: Hello there. I am a pre-service teacher looking for some advice. In
: my Diversity and Inclusion class, we had to come up with a
: heuristic question and see what others thought. Here is my
: question and any replies would be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!!!: How can I include a student, with a handicap, in a classroom of other
: children, and meet the needs of all the students in the class?Dear Pre-Service Teacher,Your question is a rather broad one. What kind of imagined handicap does this student have? How you work to include this student while yet meeting the needs of other students depends on the kind of challenge your included student has.