I have been hearing about inclusion for a few months now, as I have just gotten into the education field both as a future teacher and current employee at an elementary school. However, I had never really paid attention to how teachers include all students in their classroom, regardless if they have a disability or not.
Starting this new job as a special education tutor has really opened my eyes to how both teachers and students accept and include students with disabilities in to the classroom. For example, I work with a girl in the morning who has multiple disabilities. Because she has poor social skills and a speech impairment, she can sometimes rely on me to facilitate a conversation with another one of her classmates. Though most students in her classroom are very welcoming and happy to talk with her, there are also some students who are intimidated or afraid of talking with her. This has certainly given me some insight in how I will include students in my future classroom.
Strategies for inclusion are highly important for teachers to know. The article I have posted gives some really great tips for incorporating students into the classroom.
What are some inclusion strategies you have seen or practice in your classroom?
http://www.theinclusiveclass.com/2013/01/10-easy-changes-teachers-can-make-to.html
Confessions of an Edublogger 
What a great topic to choose! I have always felt inclusion is so important. While it wasn’t that long ago, I try to compare my educational experience with the education of today, and inclusion is much more prominent. I saw acceptance most in the younger grades (3rd and 4th), always making sure that students with special needs were a part of a group, lunch table, or recess game. I feel that sometimes the intimidation or discomfort observed by students is simply due to lack of experience – realizing that, despite their outwardly differences, all kids are very similar. They want to be included, listened to, and acknowledged.
Recently, a student of mine was moved to a self-contained classroom. While its been very beneficial for the student, I stressed how much I wanted them to remain in my class once a day, if for nothing else but the social and emotional aspect. It has been incredible and I hope we can make a lot of progress this way!
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Hi Ashley, First of all, I love the blog style you chose (I have the same one)! Secondly, I am not a teacher, but was a reading tutor for five years, my best friend is a first grade teacher, and I did write one of my education research papers on mainstreaming and inclusion. I think it is important to have students with challenges and disabilities in the classroom for as many activities as possible, but it does take creativity and extra work. I think it is great that you are experiencing how inclusion works as a special education tutor and will be well equipped with ideas and strategies when you have your own class room. I think your sensitivity to the challenges some students face will make you a wonderful teacher!
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