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Our Teacher
Research: Past & Present
Helping
all students achieve higher standards
Trouble in Paradise: A Study
of Who is Included in an Inclusion Classroom
by
Rachel Zindler
I recently changed jobs at my school and took
a new position as the general education teacher
in my school's second grade inclusion team.
I accepted this invitation with curiosity,
excitement, as well as with some trepidation
since my work in
special education had been very limited up until then.
Seven of the 24 students
in my new class were classified as "special
education" students. These children struggle
with a variety of developmental delays, such
as expressive and/or receptive language processing
disorders, physical disabilities, and social/emotional
issues. These children each possess a complex
combination of disabilities, which contributes
to their daily challenges in school.
In this study I examine
how truly "inclusive" my class was this year.
I questioned whether it was possible, despite
differences in academic and social skills,
to fully incorporate children with special
needs into a general education classroom so
that their general education peers would accept
them and value and include them in their games.
I also looked at what impact race, economic
status, social skills, and language deficits
have on their social roles in the group? I
also looked at ways team teachers can effectively
facilitate continuous, meaningful relationships
between special education students from all
backgrounds and their peers of average development.
To
the Full Paper (pdf file. Need Adobe Acrobat? Click
here.)
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