The Inclusion Teacher

A Six Sense Poem

Your inclusion teacher is…(a color)

They sound like…..

And feel like…..

The inclusion teacher smells like….

They taste like…

They make me….

Six-Sense Poem

• The inclusion teacher is green They are protecting the environment! They sound like the ocean The waves coming in and out!!! And feel like play dough Constantly changing and shaping. They smell like a breathe of fresh air And taste like Laffy taffy!! They make me able to carry the weight of the world and smile!!

. Everything you always wanted to know about

Inclusion, but were afraid to ask

Gayle Holladay-OMS

Ann Stuedeman-SMS

Cheaper by the Dozen

• Video clip

Is Inclusion Working?

Quotes from NEA Journal article, “Two Cooks in the kitchen:”

Question: “What is one teacher plus one teacher?”

Answer: “A lot of help”

“The combination of two teachers in one classroom is beneficial for both teachers if its is cooked up right.”

What happens when it tastes horrible?

“Not every co-teaching team is fabulous. Sometimes somebody eats all the cake and leaves nothing but crumbs.”

(NEA article)

Findings from report by Middle School Educators

• Professional collaboration and peer support are important ingredients for successful inclusion.

• Middle School teachers claim that teaming offers students an opportunity to maximize their learning.

• Belonging is especially crucial during early adolescence. When students are given an opportunity to interact with others, they learn to appreciate abilities, interests, and differences. They have a feeling of belonging.

More findings

Current laws and interpretations in the most recent litigation continue to favor inclusion over exclusion for students with special education needs.

Teachers have found that skills taught in isolation rarely transfer in applicability to the context of the regular classroom.

Researchers Staub and Peck concluded that the inclusion of special students created a caring and accepting community of learners as well as improved student learning for non-disabled peers.

They also identified 5 outcomes of inclusion for non-disabled students:

• Reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increased awareness.

• Growth in social cognition• Improvements in self-concept• Development of personal principles• Ware and caring friendships

Gayle

• 100%

Parents ask: “Will non-disabled children lose teacher time and

attention?”• A study by Hollowood, Salisbury,

Rainforth, and Palomboro indicated the presence of students with disabilities had no effect on levels of allocated or engaged time. They also reported that time lost to interruptions of instruction was not significantly different between inclusive and non-inclusive classrooms.

Giangreco report recommends• For Regular education teachers in inclusive settings:• Work with other team members• Welcome the student in your class• Be the teacher of all students• Make sure everyone belongs to the classroom community and

everyone participates in the same activities• Clarify shared expectations with team members• Adapt activities to the student’s needs• Provide active and participatory learning experiences• Adapt classroom arrangements, materials and strategies• Make sure support services help• Evaluate your teaching

Inclusion in the Middle School, ERIC Digest

• Overview

• Beliefs of Kochhar, West, and Taymans

• Barriers to Inclusion

• (TEAM-player Survey)

Problem Solving

Paraprofessionals- great help or hindrance?

Teachers play key roles in working with paraprofessionals

1. Set expectations for the paraprofessional

2. Ensure that you and the paraprofessional are satisfied with your working relationship.

3. Resolve problems that do arrise.

Problem solving -Grading

• Eliminate Zeros- student may redo work, lowest grade is 50

• Portfolios• Use Rubrics• Answers with multi-steps or essay questions

give more chances to earn points.• If possible note on the report card the grade is

modified and the grade reflects progress made.• (sample tests)

Suggestions for Teacher Growth

• Grow slowly-but grow1. Take notes on your students each day. Be conscious

of what works and what doesn’t for which learners.2. Assess students before you begin to teach a skill or

topic. Study the results of this pre-assessment and their implications for you and your students

3. Look at all work students do (discussions, journal entries, centers, products, quizzes, group tasks and homework) as indicators of student need, not marks in a grade book.

4. Try creating one differentiated lesson per unit.5. Differentiate one product per semester

Teacher growth continued

6. Establish class criteria for success with products. Then work with students to add personal criteria to their lists.

7. Give students more choices about how to work, how to express learning, or which homework assignments to do.

8. Develop and use a two-day learning contract then move to a four-day and a five-day contract for each subsequent 9 weeks.

9. The idea is to commit yourself to grow. Try something new and reflect on what you have learned. Apply them to next new step.