Inclusive Education.... As I Understand It Now.

For my inaugural post I feel as though it's important to make some things clear. I am not a seasoned blogger. I have a difficult time recording my feelings, but in this case I can do so behind the scenes while exploring the topic of inclusivity. I’m hoping that through this exploration that I can become better at this, and that I can continue adding to it once I graduate.

I found myself on the education career path after working in a child care centre over my summer break. Communicating with kids, seeing them grow into their own person, and being able to support them was something that I found joy in, and seemed to come naturally. Through that experience I worked with children with varying behavioural plans and special needs, and including them in daily activities and experiences was a large part of how I approached my work there. The children wanted to be as much a part of the social interactions as anyone else, and it was our job to facilitate that so every child would feel included. Creating a classroom philosophy that is openly, and regularly, shared and discussed with students is one way of maintaining your classroom as a safe and supportive space for all.

Recognizing that all children are individuals is a large part of inclusive education. Not only are there physical differences, mental differences, or socio-economic differences, but there can be language differences as well. In Canada we are fortunate to have so many diverse cultures, and with that, some of our students in our class may not speak English as their primary language. Being aware of EAL learning strategies, and the process of language acquisition, is an essential part of helping this children to grow and succeed. You want to be aware of this when you are designing your classroom, and your lessons.  Incorporating different forms of representation (written, oral, visual, auditory) into these areas can help all students to feel supported and that you as the teacher are making an effort to help them do their best.

I hope that through this blog I can provide useful insight and resources on the topic of UDL and inclusivity, so that other educators, not necessarily first year’s teachers, can begin to reflect on their own practices.