My Inclusion Manifesto (not fully edited yet)

I have many strongly held values pertaining to education and specifically to inclusion. When I began working with children and at the beginning of my academic pursuits in elementary education, I knew that I valued getting to know every single student or child and helping each one progress in multiple areas but especially in developing their areas of interest. This is where I began, and since then I have come to understand more about how this can be done, with who it can be done, and I have continuously built on this starting point.

All children are capable of making progress and our role as teachers is to facilitate and enable this progress in each individual child. When I say in all children, perhaps I should qualify it more clearly. I really mean every single child, children of different: ages, sexes, races, intellectual abilities, physical abilities, interests, learning styles, learning disabilities, family backgrounds, you name it, I mean it. My university experience definitely broadened my views in this respect through educational videos, readings, and discussion, especially in the area of children with developmental disorders. Perhaps these children learn at a slower pace, but they are clearly capable of learning. I have met and seen videos of children with autism and a variety of other developmental or intellectual challenges being educated with other children and learning and I have seen the other extreme of what happens when these children are not at all intellectually stimulated. It makes a profound difference. Seeing what is possible has definitely made me a believer and a supporter of inclusion. However, believing in inclusion may be a great start, but it is not enough.

Teachers must be able to teach to a wide spectrum of learners for inclusion to be truly possible. It is the teachers’ responsibility to find different ways to get through to each student and to increase and strengthen the abilities of that student. How do I believe this can be done? The teacher herself must be a learner and must be open to experimenting with a variety of methods. Differentiation is the key here. Teachers must be able to get to the place that each learner is at and work from there. This is one of the reasons why getting to know each student is crucial. One needs to know what level the student is on in terms of learning, what ways the student learns best, what strengths exist that can be built upon, what other areas can be improved, as well as where that student’s interests lie. Once the teacher has been able to ascertain some of this information, which requires continuous effort, the teacher can begin incorporating this knowledge into the way she teaches her students. This can include differentiating the content, process, and product, as well as the classroom environment to suit the needs of the students. I must say here that I realize that this is an enormous task, but it is what I believe inevitably leads to successful and rewarding teaching. I say this not because of much of my own teaching experience but because of my own experience being taught. The teacher that got through and inspired me most did this (through my interest in poetry) and every teacher I have had and looked up to in my university education has spoken passionately about this.

In order for this to be possible, I do believe that teachers need a lot of support. Support can come from the principle, parents, fellow teachers (including specialists), social workers (if involved), and the community. I still believe that teachers can differentiate without this support but that it is more effective and probably much more successful if the support is there.

When it comes to differentiation, I do not believe that it has to be done all of the time, for every single activity, but the teacher should aim to do as much as possible where students can benefit. The teacher can often present the main idea she wants to get across either orally, visually, tangibly, or through a mix of mediums. An example of this would be to have the class listening to the teacher explaining something but to also distribute some sort of visual representation of the big idea to some or all students in the class. She can also have different students working at different levels but still all focusing on the same objective. Students can practice what must be learned in different ways as well. An effective example of this would be in learning to play some kind of team sport in physical education class. Some students can be practicing specific skills such a dribbling a ball, other students could be engaged in one of one teaching of a skill, and the rest of the students could be engaged in an actual game. Students can also be given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge in a multitude of ways, not just through taking a test. In my classroom I would love for students to be able to express themselves through words (written and spoken), through artistic endeavours, through helping and/or teaching others and through other options that they will come up with themselves.

Also, I believe teachers should be open to adjusting and modifying the environment for learners. This can be done in a variety of ways, from making changes to the physical space within the classroom to modifying the degree that students are free to roam the classroom and engage in collaborative work with peers. In order for effective learning to take place, students must feel secure and comfortable in their learning environment. In my classroom I would expect and do my best to foster mutual respect between students and teacher and between the students themselves. From what I have read and personally experienced, I know that the teacher must set the example here in being respectful with all students and making them all feel included in the classroom. I value inclusion and I agree that students are extremely inclusive as long as they are not taught to be otherwise. Respect would be one of the golden rules within my classroom.

In terms of evaluating students, I must be honest and say that I do not have much experience in this area. I do, however, know what I would like to emphasize and that is individual and collective student progression. I would like each child and his or her parents to be able to see where they started and where they have advanced to from that starting point. Also, as a whole class, I would like for things to improve and come together (in terms of working together, valuing and respecting one another, academic learning, and moral development) in a way that children can see and feel proud of their class development. I also expect to be proud of my students.

I think that I could go on for pages about my values and the way I would like my classroom to run but I think that this is a good start. I am looking forward to getting the opportunity to put my ideas into practice and I am also looking forward to building upon my current knowledge and progressing myself. (Keeping this first version of my manifesto and looking back to it throughout my ongoing professional career should allow me to track my own progression of ideas and practice)