Inclusion means C.A.R.E.
Today was my first day has a para-educator in an inclusion classroom at the Hope Technology School. I don’t have much experience working with students with special needs. What do I say? How do I respond if I can’t understand my students?
Growing up I was taught to glance away whenever there were individuals with disabilities. I reflected on my educational experiences and remembered going to school and seeing students with special needs grouped together in one classroom, a mainstreaming approach. They had different schedules compared to typical students and they were often picked up and dropped off at their home by a squared-shaped school bus—an approach that starkly pronounced exclusion.
Today I learned that embracing inclusion is about learning to care and teaching others to care. I learned that any parent, with a typical or special needs child, wants their child to feel safe and happy at school. As an educator I have the opportunity to interact with students, promote safety and facilitate friendships.
During recess time today, I played with a typical and special needs child by throwing a football. It was a simple game, but, a microcosm representation of what inclusion looks like.
Today I learned that inclusion is all about being Compassionate, Attentive, Respectful and Empathetic.
