How Will We Handle This Issue in the Classroom?
When attempting to create an inclusive environment for all, teachers must throw away the traditional belief that all students learn in the same way. To be fully inclusive, teachers need to accept that all of the students in their class have unique learning needs, whether that is a result of a disability or simply a preference. It is a teacher’s job to teach them all! Once teachers accept these differences, it becomes obvious that the planning process becomes much more difficult and time consuming. Instead of making one lesson plan that will be taught to everyone, the teacher needs to differentiate their instruction in order to reach all of the students. This may include different teaching strategies, tiered activities, options for project completion, etc.
Another implication for teachers is that they will need to accept that some students are going to require more attention than others. This is an area where ethical considerations often arise. Is it ethical to spend almost an entire class helping one student who is struggling while ignoring the other students in the classroom? From a consequentialist perspective, one could argue that this is not ethical. When analyzing this situation from a consequentialist perspective, the principle of benefit maximization can be applied. This principle suggests that, “the most just decision is the one that results in the most good or the greatest benefit for the most people” (Strike & Soltis, 2009, p. 11)). One could argue that spending most of your time with a student with high needs is benefiting only that particular child, while the other 20 students may be feeling neglected. This would lead us to believe that in order to benefit the highest number of students; the teachers’ time should be directed towards the majority. Some teachers may have difficulty approaching this situation from a consequentialist perspective, whereas others may view it as being logical.
Although this may be easier said than done, we both believe that teachers need to try to balance their time as effectively as possible in the classroom. By spending all of our time with one student with heightened learning needs, we are doing the rest of the class a disservice. However, we also do not think it is ethical to neglect the needs of a specific student in order to benefit the rest of the class. For these reasons, we believe that inclusion can only be effective if a teacher is able to balance all student needs. In an ideal situation, students with diverse needs will be accompanied by an educational assistant who will be able to help to make this balancing act possible.
In addition, to create a fully inclusive classroom, we will seek out the proper professional training to allow us to be successful. This may include talking to others who have successfully created an inclusive classroom, attending professional development, etc. Within this, we both believe that it is extremely important to develop positive relationships with all parents, but especially the parents of children with special needs. This will allow the parents to feel like they are important in their child’s school life and it will also help us as teachers to get ideas as to what works for the specific child and what does not.
Another implication for teachers is that they will need to accept that some students are going to require more attention than others. This is an area where ethical considerations often arise. Is it ethical to spend almost an entire class helping one student who is struggling while ignoring the other students in the classroom? From a consequentialist perspective, one could argue that this is not ethical. When analyzing this situation from a consequentialist perspective, the principle of benefit maximization can be applied. This principle suggests that, “the most just decision is the one that results in the most good or the greatest benefit for the most people” (Strike & Soltis, 2009, p. 11)). One could argue that spending most of your time with a student with high needs is benefiting only that particular child, while the other 20 students may be feeling neglected. This would lead us to believe that in order to benefit the highest number of students; the teachers’ time should be directed towards the majority. Some teachers may have difficulty approaching this situation from a consequentialist perspective, whereas others may view it as being logical.
Although this may be easier said than done, we both believe that teachers need to try to balance their time as effectively as possible in the classroom. By spending all of our time with one student with heightened learning needs, we are doing the rest of the class a disservice. However, we also do not think it is ethical to neglect the needs of a specific student in order to benefit the rest of the class. For these reasons, we believe that inclusion can only be effective if a teacher is able to balance all student needs. In an ideal situation, students with diverse needs will be accompanied by an educational assistant who will be able to help to make this balancing act possible.
In addition, to create a fully inclusive classroom, we will seek out the proper professional training to allow us to be successful. This may include talking to others who have successfully created an inclusive classroom, attending professional development, etc. Within this, we both believe that it is extremely important to develop positive relationships with all parents, but especially the parents of children with special needs. This will allow the parents to feel like they are important in their child’s school life and it will also help us as teachers to get ideas as to what works for the specific child and what does not.