The Inclusive Class

Parents of school-age children can often become bewildered by today’s education system and it’s expectations. Its quickly evolving nature makes it hard to keep up with the latest teaching methods, the many types of tests our children are receiving, and the technology they are using in the classroom.  Parents of school age children with special needs however, have even more information to sift through – they need to also understand Individual Education Plans, special education acronyms, and different types of services that are available in special education. In short, the education system can completely overwhelm even the most knowledgeable people! Inclusive education is one such term that is often used in special education as it is considered by special education experts to be the ideal situation for educating children with special needs. Sadly, however, the concept of inclusive education is often misunderstood. If you are a parent of a special needs child who is in an in...

Over the past four months, my co-host Terri Mauro and I have interviewed experts, advocates and scholars on the topic of inclusion. On The Inclusive Class Radio Show , we have discussed the concept of inclusion, strategies for implementing inclusion and ways to support it. However, most recently two of our guests, Michael Linsin creator of Smart Classroom Management and Howard Glasser, author of the Nurtured Heart Approach talked about two other components to inclusion that combined are the true foundation for creating an inclusive class – positive classroom management. A teacher is not only responsible for setting-up an inclusive class, delivering the curriculum, assessing its students and working with parents but a teacher is also tasked with generating a learning environment in which students are positive, happy, respectful and motivated. By using positive classroom management, there is a flow of self-esteem, respect, appropriate behavior, strong relationships and the inclus...