It
is always interesting to get a dissimilar opinion to something that means a lot
to you and has become your passion. You
get almost defensive over the topic and your beliefs. But as an early childhood professional it is
imperative to not only be open minded but maintain an open heart as well. When we stop and listen to someone else
opinion, especially those that differ from our own we can begin to visualize
their perspective through their eyes. I
have a colleague that truly believes that inclusive classrooms are disruptive
and take away from the advantages of a normal classroom for students without
disabilities as well as takes away from the advantages of the students with
disabilities to get the individualized attention they may need or desire. She feels that many times the teachers focus
must be on the student with disabilities therefore her other students fall
through the cracks. This is especially true
when dealing with children that fall under the ASD umbrella. There are different things that may set any
individual off, but these students tend to be set off more frequently. When discussing this topic with her I felt
threatened by her closed minded approach to early childhood education. Once she explained her position on the topic
I could see where she was coming from.
Although I think inclusive classrooms are a positive. Understanding her feelings as a classroom teacher
who has experienced it firsthand I had to respect her opinion and outlook on
the topic.
This is a very good topic. In my opinion, inclusive classrooms have both pros and cons. It all depends upon the situation. I teach Kindergarten and I was I had a student last year who had not been identified (not ASD but ODD and ADHD) at the time. I had to initiate the process. He was extremely disruptive, disrespectful, and at times violent. It was a very rough year for my students and for me. I had to take anecdotal notes as soon as an incident occurred, he would run out of the classroom and out of the building, climb shelves, etc. While we were in the SIT and identification process, the administrators assigned a permanent substitute in my classroom to say with him so that I continue to work and teach the other children. Now I realize that this is an extreme case but it happens more often than not.
ReplyDeleteClass size, environments, staff ratios, etc. must be considered (I believe the terminology is least restrictive environment) when the subject of inclusive classrooms is discussed. Keep in mind however this is for students that have already been identified. It is very difficult to assess students in an early childhood program because of their age and sometimes because of the lack of resources available to programs.
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