Motto: "We all live under the same sky, but we just don’t have the same horizon." - Konrad Adenauer
One of the most important aspects of nowadays teaching is its need to adapt to the needs of the children, whatever they may be. Such a method can be seen in the inclusive school, a school that focuses on the inclusion of the children that have been previously set aside and which involves in the teaching process the parents, caretakers and specialized counselors.
It has been proven that the methods used inside the inclusive schools can significantly improve the performance of all the children. As opposed to the education in specialized schools, which has the tendency of keeping them away from the society, the inclusive school is an ideal ground for their future inside the soci
ety.
Who determines classroom rules? How are rules set and enforced? Are rules constructed collaboratively by teacher and students?; What does the classroom environment look like? When a stranger glances around the room, does the space appear to be a teacher's space (e.g., all of the writing on chalkboard is in teacher's handwriting, work displayed is chosen by the teacher) or a space shared by the classroom community?; Can students question decisions made by the teacher? Are students viewed as decision-makers in the classroom?; and
Who makes decisions regarding curriculum? Does the teacher make all of the decisions about topics covered, materials used, and ways in which instruction is delivered or are students consulted on these decisions? Do students construct curriculum and design instruction?
The purpose of the inclusive school is to create for all children an appropriate climate for learning, starting with the acceptance of the idea that the differences between people are normal and therefore they must be accepted. This is the reason why a very important role inside the inclusive school is attributed to student based learning, but also to the adjustment of the curriculum, of the ways of teaching, etc.
The inclusive school is a challenge for the common schools, but it must not be seen as a threat to the performance of these schools. Many schools find it difficult to integrate students with specials needs inside usual classes. But this fear can be overcome through education, adequate resources, support and last but not least through the belief that inclusion is a moral and social right that can not be denied to anyone.
For normal school to change and become inclusive schools, they need to become educational communities where all the children’s needs should be fulfilled. Inclusive schools don’t offer a normal or special education, they offer an inclusive education and as a result children will be able to learn together. In order to do this we must believe that every child can learn and succeed and that diversity is good for all of us.
A teacher interested in making their classroom more democratic might ask the following questions:
We could even say that inclusion is not just about children with special needs; it’s a fact, a reality and the acknowledgement that every child is unique. It proves that we are one but not one and the same.
image source : freeschoolclipart.com
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Motto: "We all live under the same sky, but we just don’t have the same horizon." - Konrad Adenauer