Inclusive Practices

Initial Response #8 - Module 5 Visual Case Study

What is known: Gathering referral information

Tammy has many strengths as indicated both in the videos and in the written information provided about her. She is a skilled artist who is able to make individual art (as seen in her sketchbook) as well as work with a team to produce art on a larger scale (as indicated by her teacher who said that her artwork on the set for the school play carried the entire production. She has superior listening comprehension and oral expression, and ranks in the 90th percentile for spoken language. She is passionate about art and knows that she wants to pursue a career as an artist. She also is conscious about her own learning style and needs, and is able to articulate that to her teacher (“drawing helps me to listen”). Unfortunately, the teacher did not respect Tammy’s awareness of how she learns best. 

Tammy’s teachers and parents are concerned with her average performance in written language composition, reading comprehension, and spelling. Her teachers indicate that she is behind on assignments and is not meeting the expectations of the highly academically focused school she attends. Tammy admits that many of the written assignments are difficult for her, and it seems to take her more time than her peers to complete these assignments. 

What might be happening and why

There are many potential reasons for why Tammy may be underachieving in certain academic areas of her education: 

• Tammy may be under-achieving in certain areas (written language production and science) because she is disinterested in the material and/or doesn’t see the purpose in completing the assignments to the best of her ability.
• Tammy may be burnt out from all of the extra-curricular activities that her parents have her participate in (public speaking, leadership, piano, tutoring, etc.), in addition to finding time for her passion (art). 
• Tammy may have a learning disability that makes it difficult for her to produce written work in a timely manner. 
• Tammy may be rebelling against her pushy parents by doing the opposite of what they expect her to do. 
• Tammy may have difficulty concentrating in class because her teachers do not allow her to do the things that help her concentrate (i.e. she said that drawing helps her to listen, yet she was not allowed to continue to draw in class).

What you need to find out: Checking hypotheses by collecting more information

• First step is to talk to Tammy about what specific aspects of her education she finds the most challenging, and working with her to develop strategies for overcoming these difficulties.
• Allow Tammy to draw when she thinks that it will help her concentration. After a period of time, check in with her to see if this strategy has helped or not.
• Talk to Tammy about the pressure she is experiencing from her parents, and see if that is affecting her learning negatively.
• Set up a meeting with the parents to talk about all of the extra-curricular expectations that are placed on Tammy. Perhaps one or more of the extra-curricular activities need to go in order for Tammy to have the time she needs to complete assignments. 
• Have Tammy work with a special education specialist in order to develop strategies to improve her written production. 

What is Gifted/Learning Disabled

When a student is said to be gifted, they are usually gifted in a certain domain. This does not mean that the same student will be gifted in all domains. For example, in the case of Tammy she is gifted artistically, but struggles with written linguistic intelligence. Other students may excel in areas such as mathematics, but struggle with spacial reasoning skills. Students who are labeled as Gifted/Learning Disabled have a duel diagnosis. They excel in one area, and have weaknesses that may be debilitating in other areas. These students need support in order to continue to develop their skill in their area of expertise, as well as support to develop strategies for finding success in their area of weakness. 

Case # 7 Considered Response - Salim’s Case

I choose to write my considered response on Salim’s case because working with students who are refugees is something that I have no experience with and upon reading this case I was not sure what I would do if I had a student such as Salim in my class. 

What does is mean that Salim is a refugee?

In the first video the administrator notes that Salim and his mother are awaiting refugee status in Canada. Refugees are people who seek refuge in a foreign country in order to escape violence and persecution in their homeland. The fact that Salim is pursuing refugee status indicates that he and his family have been the target of repeated discrimination, violence, and trauma in his home country. 

As a refugee, Salim will likely go through four transition stages which may happen over the course of many years. The first is the Honeymoon stage, which likely begins right when Salim and his family arrive in Canada. This stage will be marked by relief that he has fled the violence and danger of his home country and has arrived safely in Canada. The second stage is the Hostility stage. During this stage the reality begins to set in that he will be leading a completely new life in Canada. Salim will face many challenges upon arriving in Canada and transitioning into a Canadian lifestyle, and during this stage he may dislike Canada and wish to return to his home country, even though it would be dangerous for him to do so. The third stage, Humour stage, is when Salim will begin to accept that his life is different now and will begin to participate and integrate into Canadian society. He will become more familiar with the language, start to make friendships, and begin to feel like he belongs to a new community here in Canada. The final stage is the Home stage, where Salim will accept that he is here in Canada to stay (at least while it is still unsafe for him to return to his home country) and he makes peace with his new life in Canada. The Home stage can take many, many years to reach, and some refugees never accept their new circumstances. 

People who seek refuge in a foreign country are different than those who immigrate to another country, because often refugees have no choice but to flee their homeland. Refugees often have to leave their home country in a hurry and may have left personal business unsettled. Depending on the circumstances, they may have had to leave behind family members, or they may be unsure if family members and friends have been able to leave. Communication with those who are still in their home country may be difficult or impossible, leaving uncertainty as to whether loved ones are okay. Returning home is often not an option for years, if ever. Due to these circumstances, refugees may experience a profound sense of loss and may also experience post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. 

What is Salim dealing with as a refugee student?

Salim, and other refugee students who are new to the country, will to be dealing with a number of issues both inside and outside of the classroom, and will need support in order to ensure a positive transition to his new Canadian lifestyle. Some issues that Salim may face include: language barriers, unresolved trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder, mourning for family members and friends who have been left behind, loneliness, depression, identity and self-esteem issues, poverty upon arriving to Canada, and anger at his situation. 

As a child, Salim may have a lot of pressure put on him from his family and may be forced to grow up very quickly. Often, children are able to learn a new language far quicker than their parents, and as such Salim may have to take on many adult roles such as translating for his parents, or negotiating family business on behalf of his family. Salim’s mother (and other family members if they have also come) will be dealing with issues of their own and will likely be incredibly stressed. This is going to be a difficult time for the whole family, and Salim may not receive the support that he needs from his family. 

Salim will also notice many cultural differences between his home country, and his new country of Canada. He may experience difficulty in adapting and integrating into this new culture, and will need support in order to guide him through this transition. As Salim may not have attended school in the past, or his experiences in school may have been very different, he will also need to adjust to the expectations and culture of the Canadian school system. In addition to learning a new language and curriculum, Salim will have to learn a new code of conduct that includes things like: how to hold a pencil, how to use North American washroom facilities, how to wait a turn, how to understand non-verbal cues, etc. This will be a steep learning curve and it may take many months before Salim is actually ready to start dealing with Canadian curriculum. 

What can a classroom teacher do to support Salim?

Classroom teachers can play a vital role in supporting refugee students successful transition into Canadian life. Teachers need to be aware of all of the issues facing refugee students, and be open and willing to take the time to learn about each individual students needs and backgrounds, as well as strengths and cultural differences. 

Teachers should always begin by creating a positive, safe, classroom community where all students feel welcome and respected. This starts at the very beginning of the year, when the teacher and students together determine the classroom expectations and atmosphere. As soon as a teacher becomes aware that a new student will be joining the classroom, they should discuss this with the class prior to the students arrival. Having a conversation around how to make others feel welcome in the classroom, or even talking about how it might feel to be a new student in a class half-way through the year, can prepare students for the new arrival and have them empathize with the new students situation. 

The classroom teacher can make Salim feel welcome by speaking with him when he arrives and asking him about his interests and background. The teacher should also introduce him to the class, and pair him up with a buddy or group of students who can make him feel welcome when he first arrives. It is also important to show Salim that the classroom is a multi-cultural space where everyone is welcome. This may include little things like visual signs in different languages, books in different languages, or artwork from different cultures on the walls. Another important thing to consider is stability and routine, which can be very important for Salim after he has been living in uncertainty in his home country. 

Some other strategies for welcoming Salim to the school may include: providing a tour of the school as well as a visual (map), provide information about the school in English and in Salim’s first language, provide information about the surrounding neighbourhood and community, provide information about various clubs and activities that Salim can become involved in with the school, use a translator, minimize the number of teachers for Salim, keep Salim informed about various events that are happening in the school and the community, explain the classroom expectations and reinforce positive behaviours and interactions. 

It is also important for the teacher to spend as much individual time with Salim as possible to help him transition into the new school. This can include taking the time to read stories with him to assist in English language learning, or sitting with him on the bus for a field trip to point out different vocabulary and speak about what is happening. It is important to keep an eye on Salim’s social interactions with other students and try to encourage as much social involvement as possible. 

As soon as possible it is very important for the teacher to set up a meeting with Salim and his family (and a translator if necessary) in order to learn more about Salim’s background and to make the family feel welcome in the school. The education system will not only be new for Salim, but also for his entire family, and so it is important that they know that they are welcome at the school and encouraged to become involved in Salim’s educational experience. Having the family become involved in the school community can be very positive for Salim in terms of socialization and community building. 

The most important role of the classroom teacher is to ensure that Salim feels safe and welcome, and that he is an important and respected member of the classroom community. 

References

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2009). Students from refugee backgrounds: A guide                  for teachers and schools. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/esl/ refugees_teachers_guide.pdf

Camposano, M. (2006). Welcoming new canadians to the classroom. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.bcatml.org/MEGHAN/Evidence/Standard%205_New%20Canadian% 20Essay.pdf

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. (2009). Helping immigrant and refugee students succeed: It’s not just what happens in the classroom. Retrieved March 15, 2012 from http://www.embracediverseschools.com/images/Helping-immigrant-students-succeed-

article.pdf

Roxas, K. (N.D.). Creating communities: Working with refugee students in classrooms. Democracy & Education, 19(2), pg 1-8. 

Initial Response #7 - Module 4 Visual Case Study

What is known

When Salim is dropped off at Mrs. James’ classroom she is given very little information about who her new student is or what his circumstances are. She can see that Salim is an ethnic minority in the classroom, and has been told that him and his mom are awaiting to hear about their refugee status, so she can probably assume that Salim is coming to Canada from a war-torn country. Even with very little information, she can also assume that Salim is coming from a difficult background, and that this is a period of transition for him.

At the end of the first video, Mrs. James will also note that Salim does not follow her instruction to sit with the other children and colour, instead Salim goes off to a chair to spin. There are many possible reasons for this behaviour (doesn’t understand the instruction, anxiety about being in a new situation, not used to being with other children his own age, being defiant, etc.) and at the present moment Mrs. James will have no way of determining what the cause of the behaviour is. 

From the first video it is very difficult to tell Mrs. James’ initial impressions of Salim’s strengths and weaknesses, as we only see her interact with him for about 10 seconds. In the second video, where she is speaking to her colleague, it is clear that she is concerned with being able to support Salim and meet his needs as a learner while also working with her other students. It seems that her primary concern right now is how to engage Salim meaningfully without knowing his background or level of understanding.  

What’s happening?

Again, we do not know much about Salim’s background, but from this video we can assume that Salim is transitioning to a new life in Canada, and as such will be transitioning to a Canadian elementary school. Since Salim is seeking refugee status in Canada he is likely coming from a war-torn country where he has not had a lot of stability in his life. Perhaps he has only been able to attend school infrequently, and is not used to the demands and routines of a typical school day. 

Salim will need support adjusting to the expectations of his new school. In order to make this transition as smooth as possible, his teacher and the team at the school need to look into a number of questions around Salim’s background (see below). They can also provide various supports to help Salim adjust. For example, Salim could be provided with a visual schedule to make the structure of the day clear to him. He could also be paired with a buddy or small group in the class who can assist him with the day to day tasks and ensure that he is becoming part of the classroom. If possible, Salim should have the opportunity to work with a resource teacher (either within or outside of the classroom, depending on the severity of his needs) to assist with his transition into his new classroom. 

What you need to find out

Salim’s teacher needs to look into the following aspects of Salim’s background:

• What are Salim’s primary and secondary languages? Can he speak English? Does he need ELL support?
• What is Salim’s educational background? Has he attended school regularly in his home country? What are his areas of academic strength and what areas need support?
• What is Salim interested in? What is he passionate about?
• Does Salim have learning disability that is making it difficult for him to transition to the classroom?
• What is Salim’s emotional state? How is he handling the transition to Canada? Has he grown up with violence or instability that will hold him back as a learner? Are there any supports that Salim needs in this domain?

How can that information be accessed

Salim’s teacher can use the following methods to gather information about Salim’s background:

• Speak to Salim in order to assess language skills, and also to gather information about past education experiences, interests, and how he is coping with the transition.
• Speak with Salim’s mother in order to gather information about past education experiences, interests, and how he is coping with the transition.
• If possible, access any record of education from Salim’s home country.
• Observe Salim in the classroom during unstructured time to see what he is interested in and how he interacts with others. 
• Speak to a professional re: learning disabilities, if this seems like a possibility Salim can be tested by a psychologist for various learning disabilities.
• Speak with a professional re: emotional well-being. Salim can be referred to a psychologist or counsellor if necessary.
• Speak with members of the professional community (teachers, administrators, etc) about how they have dealt with students like Salim in the past and find out what advice they can offer about the situation.

What to do next

At this point it is difficult to know what the next step with Salim will be. His teacher first needs to concentrate on finding out all of Salim’s background information, and work with Salim to figure out how to meaningfully involve him as a member of the classroom community.

Initial Response #6 - Module 3, Case 2

Tracey is a Grade 12 student who has been identified as having AD/HD. Throughout the course of her schooling she has been provided with accommodations due to her AD/HD. One of her accommodations has been being able to write exams in the resource room, away from any distractions of the large classroom. Now, Tracey is being asked to write her Grade 12 Diploma exams in the gym with all of the other students due to renovations that are happening in the resource room.

The school administration is not justified in asking Tracey to write the exams in the gymnasium with all of the other students at this time. As Tracey has never had to do this in the past, she has had no practice and has not worked on developing any strategies for remaining focused and concentrated in the large group setting. It is unfair to ask her to do this when she will be writing her most important exams. If the administration had known that this was going to be a problem for these exams, they should have worked with Tracey over the course of many months to develop strategies, and to practice, how to effectively sit in the large group setting for exams. 

Tracey should be allowed to write her exams in an alternative location. The location should be similar to the resource room where she had been writing in the past, a quiet room without many distractions. The administration should be able to find a place for her to write with the renovations, even if it is an empty classroom or an administrators office. The administrators need to respect the accommodations that have been given to Tracey, as such accommodations are not given for no reason. 

When Tracey and her parents meet with the administrators, they should talk to them about why these accommodations were put in place in the first place, and how the atmosphere around Tracey has a direct effect on her success in these evaluations. They can show the administrators a copy of Tracey’s IEP, which will contain this accommodation in writing since she has been granted it for so long. Any administration team should be open and receptive to hearing Tracey’s request, and should also be willing to figure out a way to make it work, both for Tracey and themselves. 

Initial Response #5 - Module 3, Case 1

Monisha is a recent graduate and new teacher who is beginning to develop her teaching practice. She is worried that the accommodations she makes for students with learning disabilities will be perceived as unfair by the other students in her class. 

When thinking about how to accommodate the students in her class with learning disabilities, Monisha needs to be clear on the difference between accommodation and modification. Accommodation refers to how students access the curricular content, as well as how they are able to demonstrate their knowledge. Modification is a change in the curricular content itself, making it easier or harder, depending on the needs of the students. When Monisha puts accommodations in place to support a student, she is not making the work easier for them, but rather giving them another option for how to access the material and demonstrate their knowledge. 

Oftentimes, accommodations that are designed to benefit an individual student can be offered to the entire class as an option. An example of this would be for students to be given the choice between writing an essay and producing a skit in response to the same literary material. The option of producing a skit may be offered specifically to a student who has English as a second language and struggles with formal writing, but many students in the class could benefit through expressing their ideas through drama. If the objective of the lesson is to, for example, show understanding of character development in a piece of literature, this understanding could easily be expressed through either of these options. 

If Monisha does face a claim that she is favouring certain students, or that the accommodations are unfair, she will need to show how the accommodation is not making the work easier, but rather just offering a different access point. One way she can do this is by having thorough rubrics designed for all projects and assignments. Students working with accommodations will still need to achieve the same outcomes as students who are completing the original assignments. In this way, Monisha shows that no student is being favoured over another. 

Initial Response #4 - Module 2, Case 2

For the first time in his career, David has students in his class who have mild learning disabilities and are not able to find success with his teaching methods. He will need to develop new teaching strategies to accommodate the needs and learning styles of these students. 

David will need to consider what obstacles the students are facing, and how he can adapt his lessons so that the students can meet with success. Kame’enui & Carnine (1998) suggest that there are four different cognitive processes where students may struggle: memory, strategy knowledge and use, vocabulary, or language coding in reading. A good place for David to start is to look at the abilities of the students in the four areas and see where they are already meeting with success, and where they are struggling. For example, the students may have excellent memories and be able to retain and recall facts and information, but not have the vocabulary to understand or comprehend the material that they are learning. If David is able to identify where the students are struggling he can put strategies in place to support the development of the missing skill set.

To start, David can ask the students themselves what they are finding difficult. The students should reflect on questions such as: 

• Is the instruction well-paced? Is it too fast or too slow?
• Do the students have the vocabulary needed to understand the lesson? Do they have strategies in place for learning vocabulary if they do not know it already?
• Do the students need the lesson presented in a different style? With more visuals to support learning? With more hands-on activities to support learning? How do they learn best?
• Do the students need time to talk about the material with their peers? Does having conversation and collaborating with peers support their understanding of the material?
• Do the students need extra practice in order to synthesize the knowledge? Would independent material (extra readings, videos, writing assignments) be supportive?

The students themselves will likely have an idea by Grade 11 as to what types of supports they need in order to become successful in the classroom. If they don’t yet have these skills, David can talk to them about metacognition and the importance of thinking about thinking and knowing which individual methods support their learning.

In terms of preparing his lessons, David must develop clear, skill-focused objectives that allows all students to find success, if at varying levels. David must maintain “high expectations that students will master and apply concepts, strategies, & higher order thinking skills to material that is adapted for their level of language, understanding, and experience” (Jordan, 2007). Depending on the students abilities, it is not imperative that they master the same amount of information as their peers, but it is important that they go through all the steps of Bloom’s Taxonomy (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). These skills together, when adapted for the students’ ability, are much more important than for a student to simply learn and memorize a whole bunch of facts and figures. The students need to be able to take what they are learned and apply it to their own experience. Once David has developed the objective of his lesson, he can adapt the specific material according to the needs of his students. 

In order to support not only the students who are struggling, but all the students in the class, David must think about how to link the new knowledge to the students experience and the knowledge that they already hold. All students need to know why a lesson is important, as well as how it connects to previous knowledge, in order so they can connect their new knowledge to a broader understanding. 

In his presentation of the lesson, David should think about presenting the material in various ways that can support all students (i.e. visuals, text, hands-on activities, conversation and collaboration). David should also break the lesson into manageable chunks, and check in for comprehension at various stages of the lesson rather than waiting until the end of the lesson. He can also guide the students practice by walking through what the students need to do with them, and then giving them the opportunity for independent or group work. During this independent/group time he will be free to work with the students who require further support. 

There are many obstacles in beginning to education exceptional students within inclusive secondary classrooms. In secondary classrooms the sheer amount of curricular material to cover is a huge obstacle. Teachers may find it difficult, if not impossible, to teach that amount of material to a student who is struggling with the concepts. When thinking about educating exceptional students in an inclusive secondary setting, it is important to remember that the important thing is not that students learn or memorize all the curricular material, but that they are able to learn and comprehend information, apply and analyze the information, synthesize the information with previous experience and bigger concepts, and finally evaluate the information. For students with learning disabilities, this is possible if the amount of information is reduced. 

References

Jordan, A. (2007). Introduction to inclusive education. Mississauga, ON: John Wiley & Sons Canada. 

Kame’enui, E.J. & Carnine, D. (1998). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Initial Response #3 - Module 2, Case 1

This case study takes a look at a relatively novice teacher’s apprehension around changing grade levels and facing unknown challenges. Joan had taught 3rd grade for the first three years of her career, and is now being asked to teach 8th grade. The challenges that Joan faces in making this switch include a new curriculum, an age that she is unfamiliar with, and a number of students who have been labelled as having behavioural exceptionalities (which we can assume from the vignette she has not dealt with in the past). 

Joan is feeling apprehensive to change grades, and does not feel confident that she will be able to create a positive classroom community or form positive, pedagogical relationships with all of her students. 

In order to prepare for this change, Joan needs to change her mindset from what she doesn’t know, to what she does know. She should start by thinking about all of the ways that she has created a positive classroom community with her students over the past three years. There are going to be constants here that translate across grade levels, such as creating consistent expectations with her students. No matter what the age of the student, they need to know what is expected of them as well as what are the consequences if those expectations are not met. Depending on the age and need of the students the particulars will change, but each grade level will require that expectations are set. Knowing this, Joan can speak to other teachers who are familiar with teaching in middle schools in order to gain a general idea of the level of the students. Many of these expectations should also be completed with the students themselves, in order to give them ownership over their own learning and sense of community building. 

With regards to the students with IEP’s, Joan needs to consider them first as members of the classroom community, and secondly as students who need extra support. Joan should read the students’ IEP’s before school commences in order to get an idea about what goals and objectives the students are working towards, as well as what strategies have and have not worked in the past. There is a wealth of information within IEP’s that can be accessed if the time is taken to give it a read. If it is possible, Joan can also speak with previous teachers to see which strategies have and have not been successful. As always, the focus needs to be on what the students are working towards and how to support them in achieving their goals, rather than on what they cannot or will not do. 

Finally, Joan needs to take a deep breath and realize that she will not have all of the answers right away, and that she is not expected to be an expert in her first year with the new grade level. In an ideal world all of the expectations and relationships will develop on day one of the school year and the rest of the year will run without a flaw, but that is not the reality of teaching. If Joan is able to be open and honest with her students, she has the experience to learn with them. She should try her best to establish relationships and expectations, and to develop a strong classroom community on the first day, but there will be challenges that she encounters throughout the year. Instead of feeling ashamed or lacking self-confidence, she can address the challenges with her class and together they can develop a solution. 

Initial Response #2 - Module 1, Case 1

This case study has been framed in terms of what Christopher can’t do (keep up with the curricular demands in mathematics and science), rather than what he can do, or what can be done to support him. Far too often when we speak about students with disabilities, the focus is on all of the skills that they lack, the areas that they struggle with, and how their disability negatively affects their ability to succeed. Even the word ‘disability’ itself has a negative connotation, suggesting that someone with different abilities is worse off than a typically-developing peer. This type of thinking needs to be turned around, and as a profession we need to recognize what each student can contribute to the classroom community, and how all of the areas of strength can work together to ensure continued growth and success for each individual within the classroom community. 

The dilemma in this case is that Christopher is not able to engage with and find success in the curriculum in the same way that the other students in the class are able to. The school may want to pull Christopher out of the classroom in order that they can teach him the concepts either one-on-one, or in a small group setting where he will get more attention, and the teacher can teach specific to his learning style. At first glance, this may seem like an appropriate response as Christopher will likely be able to make curricular gains effectively, however being pulled out of his classroom denies him the opportunity to collaborate with his peers. 

Inclusion requires that the teacher is able to create and support a learning environment that holds each student in the classroom. Once a concept or learning objective has been determined, the classroom teacher first must develop an inquiry/lesson(s) in which each student in the class can succeed. From there, the teacher (in consultation with students, at times) can develop additional challenges that can support each student in the class to find challenge and success. In this way, each student in the class is working on the same inquiry/lesson(s), but each student is challenged to their ability. It is important for Christopher that he be able to participate with the rest of the class and not be pulled into a separate class. This model of inclusion allows for peer collaboration, and the sharing of ideas and concepts. Not only will Christopher be able to draw on the support of his peers, but as well he has a space to share his ways of thinking which may be different than the other members of his group. This space provides rich learning opportunities for the entire classroom community. 

This inclusive model can seem daunting, or even impossible, if teachers are feeling isolated and if there is not a strong professional community within the school. The classroom teachers should not be left alone to figure out how to implement a strong inclusive classroom. I saw a wonderful example of this collaboration at my Year 2 practicum placement at the Calgary Girls’ School. This year they implemented a new model of resource teaching where a resource teacher (or two) would join the classroom during specific blocks throughout the week. When the resource teachers were in the classroom they would provide support both to pre-identified students, as well as the class as a whole. Before the block, the classroom teacher would come up with a list of priorities for the resource teacher (including: small group work with students who were struggling with concepts, adapting resources, checking in with students with IPP’s re: their goals/objectives, one-on-one work with students who were struggling, etc). This model allowed every student to stay in the classroom community, while still getting the support that they needed. It is a much more organic way of supporting students than the pull-out method. 

In conclusion, I believe that Christopher should stay in his community classroom, provided that both his teacher and the professional learning community of the school are all working in the inclusion mindset and are ready to support his learning. 

Initial Response #1 - Disability, Ability, & Responsibility

As a young student I was not very aware of any students with disabilities in either my classes, or the school community as a whole. The concept of inclusion never crossed my mind until I was in high school. During high school I volunteered as a Girl Guide leader for my local group, and we welcomed a young girl with Down Syndrome into our group. I didn’t think about this too much until her mom told me that she had wanted her daughter to be involved in Guides, but had been turned down by a couple of other groups before our group said that we would love to have her. I remember being shocked by this, as it didn’t seem fair that this young girl could not participate in community activities because of her disability. 

Since that time, working with children with special needs has become my career. I graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Music Therapy and became an Accredited Music Therapist with the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. In my work as a music therapist, I specialize in working with children and youth with special needs, where I develop and deliver programming that addresses non-musical skills (communication, socialization, vocalization, fine/gross motor, attention span, self-esteem) through music. Most of the work that I do is not in an inclusive setting; most sessions take place in private schools or segregated classrooms for children with special needs. 

In addition to my work as a music therapist, I have also spent many years working as a behavioural therapist for children with autism. As a behavioural therapist (both in a school and in private practice) I work on developing and implementing programming that addresses: social skills training, activities of daily living, speech language development, augmented communication methods, and vocational skills. 

As someone who is passionate and invested in the field of Special Needs Education, I believe that the movement towards inclusion for students in community schools is a very positive movement, and one that is long overdue. Inclusion is not only beneficial for students with disabilities, but also for their typically developing peers. Inclusion that is facilitated by a confident leadership team who can teach all students how to actively engage with each other and with the curricular material is so important. Inclusion in all schools will strengthen the sense of community, and will eliminate a sense of “us and them” that happens with segregated classrooms and schools. 

That being said, I believe that there are some dangers of rushing into an inclusive model of practice if staff are not adequately trained and confident in their ability to teach these students, and to model inclusion to all students in the classroom. Teachers and administrators will need to come together in Professional Learning Communities to share information and knowledge on how best to create and put into practice an inclusive classroom. I believe that when we take this knowledge out of the hands of specialists and share it with each and every professional, these classrooms with flourish. 

During my most recent practicum at the Calgary Girls’ School there were not a lot of students with identified disabilities. Typically, the types of disabilities that I saw at this placement were learning disabilities or psycho-social disorders. Each girl who had an identified learning disability was placed on an individualized program plan which consisted of learning goals developed by the teacher and student together, as well as smaller, measurable, objectives that were looked at at specific time intervals. My partner teacher was on top of all of the program plans and made time to check in with each student with regards to their progress. I feel that this is a great system that really personalizes each students learning experience based on each students learning profile. 

Lastly, my results for the personal & teacher efficacy were:

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