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| Jessica Smith |
When considering the role of the teacher in effectively catering to the diverse needs of students’ in an inclusive classroom setting, curriculum adaptation and delivery is of major significance. Included in this responsibility is the obligation to focus on the strengths of all students and accommodate for the variations in learning styles, talents, and abilities. The capacity to understand and nurture the wide range of backgrounds, life experiences, and/or disabilities that may be influencing factors in student’s learning capabilities, are crucial characteristics of educators working in inclusive settings (Ashman & Elkins).
There are many factors that may result in the need for an adjustment to curriculum and teaching strategies. Some factors may include students who are gifted, students who have an intellectual disability, students that display characteristics of behaviour disorders, and/or students who are from non-English-speaking backgrounds (Ashman & Elkins, 2009a). Inclusion of all students in an equal educational setting will result in a great variation of capabilities. Consequently, it is the educator’s requirement to recognise that all students have capabilities, and that these capabilities must be the basis of teaching, learning, and assessment (Ashman & Elkins). By applying a curriculum that is both student centred and competency based, as well as implementing the recommendations supplied within Individual Education Plans for students experiencing difficulties, teachers can effectively meet the learning needs of all students in an inclusive classroom setting.
A further aspect of the teachers’ role in providing equitable educational opportunities to all students in inclusive settings surrounds the modification of the classroom environment. Foreman (2001) believes that providing adjustments to the physical environment can greatly increase a student’s success and learning experiences. Provisions such as arranging desks in an easy to negotiate manner for students with vision impairment or blindness, and ensuring the student receives orientation and mobility training, is an example of how to facilitate this (The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, 2010). Therefore, in order to maximise student safety and increase their learning opportunities, teachers need to consider their individual students disabilities, and make allowances and accommodations to the physical environment where required.
Creating a learning environment that promotes inclusivity requires more than catering to learning needs of students, and making modifications to the classroom, it also encompasses encouraging integration and inclusive practices. Consequently, a teacher plays a key role in demonstrating, providing for, and supporting inclusivity. A teacher who is warm, accepting and displays a positive attitude when working with students with diverse abilities, reflects the philosophy of inclusivity and can promote peer acceptance (Cowley, 2001). Bloom (2009, p.410) further indicates that schools who embody a united organisation provide conditions which cultivate both “intellectual and spiritual renewal”. Therefore, providing inclusive practices must be a whole school approach that involves communication and understanding between teachers, the school principal, parents, and students. This collaboration fosters a community approach, and ensures all students are catered for educationally, emotionally, mentally and physically.
A collaborative approach embodies the role of educators in effectively working with students who have diverse abilities, by promoting a community of inclusive practices and embedding social justice into the curriculum and their teaching pedagogies. Such accommodations may be achievable through promoting respect for diversity through the facilitation of collaborative group activities and encouraged social interactions. Briggs and Potter (1999, p.254) discuss that collaborative group work is effective in promoting positive attitudes between children regardless of their level of ability and state that "collaborative learning environments can empower and enable all children". In addition, collaborative group activities are an effective means for scaffolding students’ knowledge and understanding (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010) By providing peer-supported learning activities, teachers’ may improve peer cooperation and acceptance, and encourage students with disabilities to engage in learning which they were previously reluctant to participate in (Ashman & Elkins, 2009b).
Ashman and Elkins (2009b) discuss that educators must encourage respect between students and their peers. This may be achieved through the provision of pedagogies that provide all students with a sense of belonging, which in turn, enhance classroom relationships and a desire for learning. Forming strong relationships promotes trust, mutual understanding, shared values, and behaviours, and can be extremely beneficial in developing students’ social and academic skills. Positive peer relationships are an essential component of an inclusive classroom environment, as are the relationships between teachers, parents, and professionals.
