I believe that inclusive education is best achieved when a strong community is developed where all students feel safe and included and relationships are built with all. When students feel recognized, understood, and supported they will be more comfortable to ask questions and to trust the choices that the educator makes for them and the class as a whole. It is important to get to know students so that their strengths can be focused on to build efficacy and confidence in all students and to give opportunities to extend for those who need the extra challenge. It is also important to be flexible and keep in mind that learning requires patience and time and that learning slowly is better than not learning at all and breeds less frustration.
Throughout my 491 practicum I felt I had more time to build the community and relationships needed to create a more inclusive classroom. I was able to learn my student’s interests so that I could frame learning experiences in contexts that were more meaningful for them. I was better able to understand individual students challenges and preferences and better support them because of this understanding. I was able to provide extensions for students who were able to push themselves, and better provide motivation for those who needed it as well. I also had some learners that needed accommodations such as a student with hearing difficulties that I used a personal microphone and made sure to write everything necessary where the student could see. I also had students with difficulties writing that I printed off prefilled notes for to reduce the amount of writing they were doing and gave them the chance to show their learning orally. Overall, the more I was able to get to know my students the better I was able to provide for their unique educational needs.
A few links to refer to:
What is Inclusive Education? – from Inclusive Education Canada
https://inclusiveeducation.ca/about/what-is-ie/
What is Inclusive Education? – From Inclusion BC
https://inclusionbc.org/our-resources/what-is-inclusive-education/
Inclusive Education Resources – BC Ministry of Education
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/inclusive-education
Special Education Policy Manual PDF – BC Ministry of Education
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/inclusive-education
Teachers of Inclusive Education (TIE) – British Columbia
http://www.tiebc.com/
SOGI 123 – British Columbia
https://bc.sogieducation.org/