inclusion

My classroom is an "inclusive" classroom. This means that I have students on all levels, including those with special needs. However, inclusive settings, like ours, often still keep students with severe diagnoses or disabilities in separate classrooms. For example, students who cannot speak, are severely mentally retarded, multi-handicap, etc., are in a smaller class with more teachers and aides.

The inclusive model and approach to education has been gaining popularity. In concept, I fully support it. However, when you have a class with students in a range from advanced to illiterate, there are some challenges -- particularly when the staff that would be required to provide all of the special education students with the services that they are legally entitled to receive are not provided.

When I think about how to describe the needs of my class in writing... I feel overwhelmed. I am thorough and long-winded by nature, and thus if I were to begin on this topic, I would want to extensively document and explain my students' strengths and needs. For that reason, I am trying really hard to keep brevity in mind when addressing individual incidents with students.

Months ago, one of my students was "re-classified" by our special education team as in need of a different school setting because of severe emotional, behavioral, and learning needs. However, her mother decided that she does not want her child to transfer schools (our school doesn't have such a classroom setting), until next year -- when she enters middle school.

This child has a huge heart and has endured a lot in her life. Lately, the biggest challenge we've been facing is how to deal with her stealing. She has stolen lunches from other students, electronics from kids and teachers, bags of food and supplies from the grocery store... there is clearly a level of need/want/cry for help.

I am not sure how to approach these deeper patterns and habits that are symptomatic of deeper issues. On the one hand, we are trying to get through the year with as much success as possible - keeping realistic and achievable goals. However, I can't ignore the needs of my students and the images/ideas I foresee in their future if certain patterns don't change.

In addition to this student, I also have a student who is severely dyslexic and has yet to be provided with an adequately applied rules-based reading program. He is functionally illiterate and I am very concerned for his future, given that he is cognitively capable. In a school with over 900 students, there are only 2 adults who are trained to teach rules-based reading. Even if there were more, these teachers have to service many students -- not just in rules-based reading, but all subjects that students in their grade levels are expected to receive.

Other students in my class have emotional, behavioral, and learning needs. I could write a book on each child. I love each of them and am doing my best to teach them at the appropriate level... but this is hard. Especially with all of the other non-academic issues we are all working on. Some days I feel as though I'm running a clinic and I have to do triage.

This is just a touch on my thoughts about inclusion and my students. In many ways it is difficult to write about issues so complex and yet so close to my heart. I'm so embedded in all of this that it feels difficult to establish enough distance to write eloquently or insightfully.