My Practicum Experience with Inclusive Education
Throughout my practicum experiences, I had the opportunity to see many different aspects of inclusive education. During my 391 practicum, I observed and engaged in differentiation for one of the students. This particular student required a hands-on activity while listening, as he better absorbed the lesson when completing a puzzle or when crafting. When talking to the student following the lesson, I found he learned more when he was keeping his hands busy than from sitting without being engaged in an activity. He was able to complete verbal assessments for the same lessons, responding with thoughtful ideas about the questions being posed. This was my first exposure to the different ways that students learn.
While on my 490 practica, I learned plenty about inclusive education. I had one student who met extending on a rubric for each subject and was planning to move up a grade following Christmas break. The classroom teacher and I designed different activities to enrich this student’s learning, asking her to complete research posters on different animals and moving into the next steps for mathematics. Her journal responses moved into paragraphs rather than a sentence or two. We worked to challenge this student and attended a school-based team meeting about the grade change. We collaborated with the resource teacher about the extension activities for this student.
In my 490 class, I also had students who required further support. This student remained in class for the majority of the day, leaving only for a small sessions one-on-one with an Education Assistant to work on developing reading skills further. To ensure this student was being fully supported and that the lessons were inclusive, I differentiated the work for this student by including tactile manipulatives that the student could use to support their knowledge of shapes. Having the tactile manipulatives was effective in helping the student to visualize and remember each shape. The assessment for the unit was also inclusive, ensuring that the manipulatives were there for support as I assessed the student.
Inclusive education within my 491 practica looked differently for each lesson. It was important to be aware of the “I need a break” sign language that was taught to the students who required the extra support, and to ensure that this need is being met. For this practicum, I had 4 IEP’s within the classroom and one full-time Education Assistant. Using the sing language for “I need a break” was effective in being able to indicate to me that they are not ready for the lesson without announcing this to their classmates. This was a really great way for the students to practice communicating their needs and acknowledging their responsibility for doing such.
I also practiced inclusive education by using good day charts to ensure that a couple of the students felt positive about their small wins, and felt supported in meeting their daily “I Can’s”. I had two good day charts within the classroom, both with two goals.
For the first good day chart, the goal was “I can be safe,” and “I can be kind.” Each break that the student met these goals, she would receive a special sticker. This helped her to be excited about meeting these goals, and encouraged her to be able to be in the classroom as much as possible. She loved to collect these stickers and was excited to show them to me when she picked them out.
For the second good day chart, the goals were: “I can raise my hand when I have a thought to share,” and “I can stay positive and remember to breathe deeply.” These “I Can’s” were effective in reducing lesson interruptions, gave his classmates the opportunity to respond with their ideas, and allowed for the student to recognize how important it is to respect other student’s responses. Staying positive was also a goal that reduced conflicts during student-to-student time, and assisted with developing interpersonal relationships. The goal was to be a fair and kind friend and to practice solving problems while acknowledging that to keep friends, sometimes we need to let others win. I saw an improvement with this during our Physical Education lessons, although this is still a work in progress that the classroom teacher will continue after my practicum is completed.
I also learned a really neat program that I have been diving into in my free time. Superflex is a curriculum that puts “Unthinkables” into superhero-like categories. I observed a few lessons done by the school counsellor on my 491 practica, and have been reading the curriculum book after being inspired by this. It is such a great way to put a name to intrusive behaviours and a fun way to practice finding strategies to defeat these behaviours. The social-emotional benefits of this are wonderful. Reminding students of these intrusive behaviours is simple, referencing the Unthinkable by their superhero-like names. The students know exactly what I am talking about! This is a great inclusive way to practice defeating unexpected behaviour, and it was designed for students who are still developing their interpersonal skills. The book was given to me by my mother, who received it at an autism workshop. I saw it on the bookshelf when visiting and recalled the experience within the classroom. I have been devouring the lesson workbook since, and I believe this is a great way to discuss expected versus unexpected behaviours with students of all development areas. I couldn’t wait to share this!
All in all, inclusive education is something that each educator needs to value to ensure that the students feel safe and comfortable within their classroom. It is an aspect of teaching that must be held with value, and this means attending Professional Development Day workshops that include inclusive education.
A few links to start with or refer to:
What is Inclusive Education? – from Inclusive Education Canada
https://inclusiveeducation.ca/about/what-is-ie/
What is Inclusive Education? – From Inclusion BC
https://inclusionbc.org/our-resources/what-is-inclusive-education/
Inclusive Education Resources – BC Ministry of Education
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/inclusive-education
Special Education Policy Manual PDF – BC Ministry of Education
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/teaching-tools/inclusive-education
Teachers of Inclusive Education (TIE) – British Columbia
http://www.tiebc.com/
SOGI 123 – British Columbia
https://bc.sogieducation.org/