Teachers please respond

lilqtny Posted: Mar 10, 2004 06:10 PM

Teachers please respond

Feelings on inclusion? mainstreaming?

yabbobay Posted: Mar 10, 2004 06:12 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

mainstreaming as a whole...but there are cases for inclusion....

lilqtny Posted: Mar 10, 2004 06:15 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

I like the idea of mainstreaming however I don't like inclusion. I think that the people whom are able to teach special education are simply amazing. I admire them but I know I am not built for that. I haven't taken Special Education classes and don't feel prepared for these students. I don't think it is going to benefit these students to have teachers who don't feel prepared teaching them. I just don't want to hinder anybodys learning. This issue really upsets me.

yabbobay Posted: Mar 10, 2004 06:30 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

welll - I know my last school did not do inclusion correctly....if done correctly there are more benefits....

but one good thing I did have was a sped teacher in my class with me...and I agree...they are wonderful...

if you don't have one...ask to observe a few classes - you can learn a lot from them....

Buttafli1277 Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:17 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

my school does inclusion as well as mainstreaming. The inclusion classes are mostly taught by 2 teachers. A gen. ed teacher, and a spec. ed teacher. The mainstreaming classes are taught only by the general ed. teachers.

belle31125 Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:53 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

I am a regular ed. teacher (also have a masters in spe. ed) for 6th grade Science.. I teach 2 classes of inclusion and there are some special ed. kids in the class who really shouldn't be in the class. I do love having a special ed teacher and an aide in the classroom (more hands) but inclusion can only work if the kids in there can benefit from being in there.. I think some kids are put in inclusion, when they would benefit more from a self contained classroom.

groovypeg Posted: Mar 10, 2004 09:57 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

depends on the level of functioning of the student and the preparedness of the district. inclusion is a philosphy, it is not a way of doing things. these days its about money, districts save money by having students back in district. some districts are wonderful and really try hard and other districts couldnt care less about special education. speaking as a teacher of children with autism in a more restrictive environment and someone who also consults for districts, it is amazing the discrepency in services students receive. if it can be done well, by providing teachers with the necessary training and support, i am all for it. but if you are throwing a student back to a)save money b) just because its the 'least restrictive environment', which doesn't mean it's the best place for that learner, then i don't agree. JMHO

Deb_n_Rob Posted: Mar 10, 2004 10:33 PM

Re: Teachers please respond

I teach an inclusion class. I work with a special education teacher for a half a day and then I have an aide. I agree inclusion is not for all special ed students. I have an autistic student that is doing beautifully in inclusion. I have students with learning disabilities and although they have a sense of fitting in with their peers, I don't know how effective a larger class is even with a special ed teacher present. It isn't bad now because they are in second grade but as the curriculum gets harder, they are really going to struggle. I often question myself and wonder if they'd be better off in a self contained class. My class has a max of six classified students. I have to add though, I have learned so much as a teacher since I started doing inclusion. It has really helped me understand childrens styles of learning and how to adapt to their different needs. I am actually enjoying the challenge of working in an inclusion class. It isn't just the students though; it is also all the push ins and pull outs, the personalities of all the different people that are working with your children. That part of inclusion can get frustrating. Overall though, I wouldn't trade it in for the world.