Engaging in Inclusive Settings

 

Engaging in Inclusive Settings

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

The advantages of inclusive education should be understood by all teachers to give students access to flexible learning options that effectively match their learning needs and promote a sense of belonging. Additionally, it’s essential to develop knowledge and skills to help students with diverse learning styles, needs, and impairments achieve inclusivity so that they are aware of all facets of the inclusive environment (Ginsberg, 2009). It gives the teacher the ability to design lessons that are suitable for a diverse learning environment. It takes a democratic approach, a positive outlook, a collaborative and networking mindset, as well as the required skills and expertise, to be an effective and inclusive teacher (Chen and Gay, 2020). The main focus of this discussion will be on outlining the knowledge and skills I now possess and what else I need to learn to participate and get ready for an inclusive school setting.

The knowledge and skills I feel I currently possess

In my classroom, I think I have successfully used culturally responsive teaching strategies to address my students’ needs and barriers. By encouraging different interactions and getting students to reflect on the material and other topics, including learning content based on my students’ experiences and variety, I attempt to combine knowledge and skills in this way. The activities are coordinated, with more focus placed on the comprehension and proficiency required to reorganize knowledge in ways that the students can grasp (Chen and Gay, 2020). My primary attention was always on students who were at risk of marginalization and exclusion. I regularly intervene to address any instances of exclusion or prejudice, making sure that the shift in attitudes and values is addressed and that diversity is respected. To avoid deviating from the topic, even I frequently evaluate my disposition and degree of expertise. In my role as a teacher, I always make sure that kids have the tools they require to take advantage of all chances and that they are ready to accept inclusion and diversity in the classroom. I work to foster teamwork among kids through a variety of cooperative activities so they may learn how relationships with others are created and how useful they are in real life. Students study how they inform individuals about the opportunities to get involved and about the culture while promoting active communication among themselves in the classroom. Because I think everyone should be respected equally and given similar opportunities regardless of their talents or impairments, all students are given equal opportunity to participate and talk during any activities, ensuring that no one is left out (Lathan, n.d.). My main quality is the patience to tolerate any difficulties that arise in the classroom and create a welcoming and supportive environment because I believe that to ensure that no student is left out of the learning process, I need to meet the academic, social, emotional, and communication needs of all students.

As I employ many media to communicate knowledge and meaningfully engage students, my teaching incorporates a variety of instructional methods that match the needs of each student. For instance, I supplement the standard lecture and text formats with theater, art, video, and computer software to ensure that students learn according to their preferred learning styles. Additionally, planning for behavior management in the classroom is my main and initial effort to ensure that my students understand exactly what is expected of them in class. This depends on the requirements of my classroom and may include whole group plans, small group plans, individual plans, or individual plans created for particularly challenging students (Lathan, n.d.).  I make sure that every student learns in a collaborative setting the majority of the time to assist them in expanding their skill set and blending their abilities and learning styles with those of others.

What else do I feel I need to learn to be prepared to plan?

After taking this course, I discovered how important it is to use universal design principles to make accessible classrooms, and that to satisfy the needs of each of my students, I must follow both the three UDL principles and the three main brain networks that are involved in learning. As a result, for any accommodation to be successful, knowledge of the student’s IEP is essential. My lesson plans have all been content-based up until this point, but I now know that I need to develop an inclusive lesson plan that considers the needs of the learners, ensuring that all students have meaningful access to relevant learning materials. I realized that my lesson plans should be grounded in differentiated instruction, UDL, UbD, and inclusive design principles. My lesson plan should focus on addressing the individual student’s learning styles, modalities, ability level, and disability conditions that may require accommodations or modifications, as well as choices for students related to content, products, and responses, followed by an appropriate assessment process. It enables me to foster changes to be made in the instructional delivery method, the assessment method, or both to enable the student to have access to the same learning and an equal opportunity to demonstrate learning (Olinghouse, 2008). Moreover, I feel that I also need to use differentiated resources, sensory activities, and inclusive resources to support my teaching so that I can meet students’ needs effectively in the classroom.

 

References

Chen, M., and Gay, G. (2020). Culturally Responsive Teaching for The Children of New Immigrants in Taiwan: Perspectives of New Immigrant Parents. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349181577_CULTURALLY_RESPONSIVE_TEACHING_FOR_THE_CHILDREN_OF_NEW_IMMIGRANTS_IN_TAIWAN_PERSPECTIVES_OF_NEW_IMMIGRANT_PARENTS

Ginsberg, M. (2009). Diversity & Motivation: Culturally Responsive Teaching in College. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306033737_Diversity_Motivation_Culturally_Responsive_Teaching_in_College_2009

Lathan, J. (n.d.). 4 Proven Inclusive Education Strategies for Educators. https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/inclusive-education-strategies/

Olinghouse, N. (2008). Designing lessons for diverse learners. https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/te/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2020/06/Designing-Lessons-for-Diverse-Learners.pdf