Creating An Inclusive Classroom

When Inspiration Strikes

It happens to every teacher. One minute you're strolling through Target pushing your shopping cart and then BAM - out of nowhere, a solution to a problem you had in class hits you in aisle seven and puts a smile on your face. Or perhaps it's more of a WHOOSH (that's the sound of an idea coming at you 90 miles an hour out of thin air) and you've just figured out a better way to help your students understand a particular concept while navigating the cereal aisle. You aren't trying to work during these moments; you're just trying to buy cereal for your kids and sip a coffee in silence! But the thing is, your students feel like an extension of your family. In many ways, they can feel like they are "your kids". You love them and care about helping them succeed! So, it's only natural that your brain would be trying to find ways to help them, even when you're not at work. Creating An Inclusive Classroom

When I think about my classroom, one of my main concerns is whether or not I'm creating a classroom environment that works for everyone. My goal is to create a truly inclusive classroom. I want every single one of my students to walk into my room knowing that I have prepared a lesson, activities, and assignments that they can all benefit from and participate in.

So, for me, the solutions that come crashing in with a BAM and the ideas that fly in with a WHOOSH are often related to the special education students in my general education classroom.

Preparation 

Making sure I have everything in place for all of my students to thrive in an inclusive environment at the beginning of the year in August means that I have to start preparing at the end of the previous school year in May.

So, at the end of the year, I go to our middle school special education teacher and ask these questions:

"Could we sit down and make a list of every student that I have coming next year with an IEP or 504 Plan?"

"Will you tell me a little bit about each student?"

"Will you share with me the things that I can do to best help each student?" Sitting down with our middle school special education teacher at the end of the year allows me to take notes on every single student we discuss and prepare for my new students.  Here's why it makes a difference.

For the kiddo who has a vision impairment - I want to know that he needs to sit at the front of the room before school starts so that when I make my seating chart, he is already in the best spot for his individual needs. I don't want to risk him feeling embarassed that he has to ask me to switch seats on the first day of school so he can see the board in front of his classmates.

For the student who needs to be able to get up and walk around the room a bit throughout the class hour - knowing that he needs to do this ahead of time is awesome! I can pick a spot in my classroom that will allow him to do this and get what he needs without distracting his classmates.

For the student who has dyslexia and needs recorded read-aloud options for independent reading time - I want to know about her and what she likes so I can have some awesome book recommendations with audio recordings ready and waiting for her!

Our special education teacher shares all of these details and more with me, and I am so grateful because she does this at the end of the year when things are at their most chaotic and everyone is exhausted. She takes the time to make sure I have this information ahead of time and can start preparing for next year's class. She, and everyone else on the special education team, never hesitate to answer a question or willingly share helpful information no matter what. For that, I will always be thankful because I always feel guilty asking for more of someone's time at the end of the school year.

Why Am I So Invested?

To hear me talk this way, you might think I spend my entire summer prepping for the next school year, and I promise that isn't the case. I do, however, try to set myself up for helpful brainstorming opportunities at the end of the year by gathering information ahead of time.

I spend my summers enjoying spending time with my two sons. I work very hard to make sure that when I'm at school my time is dedicated to my students and getting work done at work so that when I'm home my time is dedicated to my two sons and I can focus on them.

So, why am I so invested in ensuring that my classroom is inclusive? My two sons are the reason I work so hard to make sure that I've prepared for my special education students because both of my sons have autism. They are the inspiration behind my inclusive classroom and everything I do to make sure that I'm being inclusive. I prepare for my students on the spectrum and with every other special need the way I would want someone to prepare for my children. Being both a mother of two children with autism and a teacher means I have one foot in both worlds, and it has been enlightening in the best possible way! It also made me want to help every teacher create a more inclusive classroom because, to me, it just isn't worth doing unless everyone is included. So, I wrote How Motherhood Taught Me to Create an Inclusive Classroom to help every teacher create a classroom for everyone.

You can read more about my book and preview the first few pages by clicking the link above, but here's a quick look at the topics I cover.

It's one thing to read an accommodation on paper and another to put it into practice.

Having a reluctant reader with an IEP or 504 plan who is struggling and knowing how to reach and encourage him/her can be difficult.

Knowing how to communicate with your special education parents and students when an unusual or challenging situation arises can feel scary.

My book covers these topics, and more, and comes straight from the heart and the perspective of someone who has been both a general education teacher in an IEP meeting for a student and a mother participating in an IEP meeting for my children.

Share Your Story

While I probably should end this post with something like, "Read my book and comment below," I'm not going to do that. Don't get me wrong, I would love it if you would read my book and take what you can to make your classroom as inclusive as you possibly can. However, I want to use the comment section on this particular post for shoutouts to the awesome special education teachers in your life because seriously, they do it all and do it without always getting the credit they deserve.

So, whether you are a teacher or a mother, I'd love to hear about the way a special education teacher or paraprofessional made an impact on one of your children in the comments below! 🗓️ P.S. Mark your calendars so you never forget to celebrate the wonderful special education teachers and paraprofessionals in your life! National Special Education Day is December 2nd, and Paraprofessional Appreciation Day is always the first Wednesday in April.