Do you know that there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities worldwide? Like all other students, children with disabilities also have ambitions, and they, too, dream of a bright future.
They want to learn and develop their skills in a place where they feel accepted, safe and included. Sadly, educators often fail to incorporate disability in school services, robbing disabled children of their right to education.
Are you a teacher who wants to make a difference? Or maybe you’re an educational institution that strives to provide equal learning opportunities to all students.
If so, this article is for you. Before discussing the best practices to promote inclusiveness in classrooms, let’s first understand what inclusive education is.
What is inclusive education?
Inclusive education refers to a teaching model wherein all students learn together in the same age-appropriate classroom regardless of ability. It is based on the understanding that no student should be segregated or ostracised based on their differences.
An inclusive environment creates a healthy and happy classroom, celebrating student uniqueness and diversity without discrimination.
Implementing inclusive education is the most effective way to give all students a fair chance to learn and realize their full potential.
What makes inclusive education important?
A diverse and welcoming educational environment can positively impact students’ emotional, academic, and social well-being. Students with disabilities who learn in inclusive classrooms have a greater learning experience, enhanced academic performance, and fewer behavioural problems.
Here are some benefits that further emphasize the importance of inclusive education.
1. High-quality education
Separated classes for students with disabilities are often smaller. They may not offer the same quality of education as the main classroom.
When students learn in one place, they have equal access to the lesson content. This ensures they don’t miss out on any of the curriculum and enables them to collaborate with their peers.
Additionally, being taught by the same teachers ensures high-quality education for all students. It also makes it easier to adapt the lessons to meet every student’s educational needs.
2. Enhanced communication skills
In an inclusive classroom, students interact with a wide range of children with different abilities. This gives them the perfect opportunity to strengthen their communication skills.
A varied level of social interaction prepares students for the after-school world and makes them career-ready.
Students will be working alongside diverse communities once they enter the workforce. So, developing good communication skills in the classroom becomes paramount.
3. Improved student confidence
Disabled students often have lower self-esteem. Teaching and treating them separately can harm their self-worth.
Inclusive learning allows all students to mingle and be part of the main classroom. This enables them to have positive peer interactions and experience a sense of belonging. It also helps students without disabilities develop a positive attitude toward diversity.
Best practices to implement inclusive education in the classroom
Are you ready to develop an inclusive learning environment? To do so means removing curriculum barriers and challenging the status quo. You’ll have to present educational goals in interesting ways to engage and serve all learners equitably.
Here are five best practices you can use for designing an inclusive classroom.
1. Use diverse teaching methods and materials
While some students are visual learners, others may be good at learning from text-based content, oral content or when taught through kinesthetic learning.
Using differentiated teaching methods helps support the specific needs of disabled students. Likewise, using diverse materials and mediums to engage students is important.
For example, you can incorporate more videos and pictures into lessons to increase engagement and ensure there is alternative text for students with visual impairments. Another way to immerse students is by using educational games or object-based learning.
2. Build a behaviour management plan
Unruly classroom behaviour affects everyone in the classroom. For inclusion to be successful, teachers must develop a behaviour management plan defining classroom rules along with goals and expectations.
This must be shared with students and parents to ensure they understand and respect those rules. The behaviour plan also helps teachers prepare for the inevitable moment students exhibit troublesome behaviours.
Depending on the needs of the classroom, you can implement different types of behaviour plans, such as a small group plan, a whole group plan, or an individual plan for challenging students.
3. Use diverse grading methods
Evaluating all students in the same manner is not the best approach to grading. Not all learners will be good at putting their thoughts onto paper.
It can be beneficial to be more inclusive with grading. For example, you can assess the ideas and content separately from grammar. You can also grant additional points for efforts made by students.
Making assessment and grading into a competitive exercise can harm students’ confidence. Instead, you can set individual goals specific to each student, helping them reach their full potential.
4. Collaborate with parents and professional educators
Collaboration is the key to developing an inclusive learning environment. Teachers can partner with professional educators or special education providers to formulate instruction strategies for students with special needs.
Parent involvement also provides the support required to build an inclusive classroom. Teachers and parents must work closely to ensure students receive the necessary support both at school and at home.
5. Gather student feedback
Before starting a lesson, teachers must collect information about students’ prior knowledge of learning content. This can be done using anonymous online surveys.
Teachers must continue to monitor the class climate and students’ experience with the course content by the middle of the term. This helps them comprehend their classroom’s effectiveness and resolve inclusivity issues in real time.
Wrapping up!
We hope this article gave you valuable insights into implementing inclusive education. You can shape the future of education by providing equal learning opportunities to students, irrespective of their abilities.
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The platform offers various features, including assignment submissions, website creation, fee management, attendance tracking, e-notice boards, broadcast and communication channels, etc.
As Qfix takes care of all the administrative hassles, teachers can now focus on making education inclusive.