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As an educator I would do this by first normalizing inclusion in my classroom. Making it clear during the first week of class that our classroom belongs to everyone. In the form of a mini lesson, I’d present students with inclusion’s derivative “include” and gage their understanding of the word. Then I’d ask them to provide examples of inclusion to support their definitions. Using their collective definitions and examples will set the tone for the community we want to build in our classroom. Putting the ownness on their ability to help create an environment that serves everyone and not just some teaches them they not only have a say so but also a responsibility to the classroom, community, and a society that works for everyone. This topic is something that will have to be revisited throughout the school year. Ideally I’d like to have a weekly or bi-weekly check in with my students to assess their experiences with inclusion. Is it something they see as real in their other classes, the school as a whole? If so, in what ways? If not, what can they do to make it real? How can they best be supported by teachers and administration. I do believe it’s possible to enact this type of social change through students but it’s something that needs to be supported by school leadership. Young people have often led the charge for change in this country and I don’t believe this is any different. The challenge will be in going the distance to prove the results would be beneficial to all stakeholders.

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As an educator, I would encourage students to bring ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community by starting the conversation with their parents. I will initially ask that the students look at issues in community they would like to help seize. The will then take this conversation to their parents and show how passionate they are in order to convince their parents of the idea. They may ask their parents questions about how they feel and what they can do to help resolve the issues being questioned. The spread of word of mouth is the quickest way to spread news and awareness.

I believe it is possible to enact this type of social change through students on a larger scale. The children become the foundation of relationships and family as soon as they come into existence. Everything that mom and dad do is for their children. If we attack it from the bottom up, it would spread on a larger scale. Also by attacking it early in age, we have more of a probability to steer it in the correct direction as opposed to attempting to convince an adult who has an already developed brain and is set in their ways. The children as a whole also visit more places in the community due to their vast population, therefore spreading the word places such as community centers, youth groups, afterschool programs, and school.

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I would most definitely teach my students to practice inclusion in and outside of the classroom. I think as educators it is important to teach our students that learning doesn't just take place inside our schools, but it is something that should be encouraged throughout ones lifetime. While we are in school to learn about particular subjects(Math, English,Etc) Social interaction and navigation is a skill that many of us develop while in school. We learn how to treat each other and how we should be treated. Often, we forget how much we learn about how to deal with others while in school. When I was a child, teachers didn't stress the importance of not using words such ans "retarded" or "Gay" as a way to demean someone.  because adults didn't step in to say that wasn't okay, it soon became a common term in students everyday language. A part of being a teacher is not only stepping in if a students gets a math problem wrong but by also correcting them about something that's offensive they might have said and explaining to them why its not okay. I think it is possible to enact change within a smaller community such as a school, church, or within someones community. I think it would take a lot of work and it might seem to large of  task to enact change on scale larger than that. For this is happen, schools, leaders, and educators would all have t be in agreement with each other to ensure that

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An educator’s job is not only to educate but to counsel and “raise” students to be well rounded individuals. Creating a safe environment for students to feel comfortable expressing their opinions and accepting others opinion will do just that. As an educator, I feel that it is one of my duties to provide a comfortable space for my students where they feel comfortable with sharing their thoughts and opinions, thus bringing to the classroom the idea of inclusion. If students are in safe in environment, it will allow them to be themselves and feel comfortable with contributing to class discussions, and in many different aspects of the classroom. Additionally, if they are comfortable with sharing their opinions and such they will be able accept and understand opinions and thoughts different front their own. The idea of inclusion is allowing everyone to be incorporated within many different things despite their differences. Inclusion specifically in classrooms means that all students are included in the learning environment. Special education students are included in once “general education” classroom setting. This is the idea that special education students are availed equal learning opportunities. Creating a culture of inclusion can start in a single classroom. In order to set the platform for a safe environment as an educator I will come up expectations for behavior in the classroom in terms of inclusion. I will allow the students to dictate the type of behavior that is considered acceptable in the classroom. I would introduce the idea of inclusion by doing an activity where I would say a statement like “if you are a male then you will get better privileges than the female students”. I will then ask my students what makes this statement unfair and how the females might feel about not being included in those special privileges. I will additionally, explain how is isn’t right to exclude the females out due to a certain difference. I would explain how not including people I things due to their identity and even their opinions. Thus, students will be able to see why they must be able to accept and include everyone.

I do believe educators can enact this type of social change through students on a larger scale as if students are practicing inclusion in the classroom, they will be able to implement this idea in real life situations. As educators are teaching students strategies that not only work in the classroom students will be able to use these skills outside of the classroom. I believe this to be true especially with older students as they are growing to
be young adults and will start to make connections out in the “real world”. If a students has learned in class the idea of incorporating everyone in many different aspects they will be able to do so as they are adults. Similarly how students may have to use mathematics in real life situations, after being exposed to the idea of inclusion they will be able to implement it in their real life situations.

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As a first year educator and previously a paraprofessional, the idea of an inclusive classroom is something I want to fully commit to. I have worked in classrooms where the "special" students are isolated from the general students. As a para I felt powerless because the teacher created this culture where the students with IEPs were often segregated. The way I would encourage my students to learn and understand inclusion is to be open with them. I am not afraid to call them out on the type of language they use with each other. My 8th graders had called each other retards or mental and I stepped in right away to confront that. We had a discussion that words like that are hurtful. Their response was that they were all friends and they didn't really mean it. I have just met them, but I already know I will be having this discussion with them all year until they realize that they need to utilize different words to make jokes.
I believe it is possible to ignite this social change through students, by simply talking to them frankly. Show them the social injustices that are occurring in the world right now because of exclusion and segregation of peoples. Nothing good has come from oppressing people because they are different. On a large scale can it happen? I believe through persistence it can slowly happen. We have to foster this idea of community and include everyone in our communities. This cannot simply be done at a school wide level, students need to see that communities everywhere are practicing inclusion, whether it's government, sports, media, etc. Students see that inclusion is a normal practice, it becomes the NORM.

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As an educator I would encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community by making the idea of making mistakes acceptable. A lot of times students will often associate making errors, especially in math with being “dumb” or “stupid”. By normalizing mistakes in classroom it makes all students feel that it is ok to be wrong without being criticized.  “Inclusion is built on the principle that all students should be valued for their exceptional abilities and included as important members of the school community” (Algozzine & Ysseldyke, 2006; Causton-Theoharis & Theoharis, 2008). This statement supports the idea that every person has a strength and weekness, but as people we should build on each others abilities and not criticize them for things that they cannot do. You make making mistakes normal for for everyone, it sends a message that it is perfectly fine and normal to make mistakes and instead of tearing each other down, lets help to lift each other. This does not just pertain to those who are classified as having a disability. It is important to let students know that we all are human and that no one person is perfect and that we all make mistakes. With this in mind, it should, but wont always become clear to the students that they are just as susceptible to making an error as others in their class, even those with different disability classifications. As an educator you not only want to produce students that are capable of performing the task expected of them in each subject, but also competent and open minded young adults who understand things like social justice, and are aware of the world around them. Sometimes we do not realize that the biggest lessons we teach often don’t come from a textbook, but from our actions. Being a model and setting clear expectations for your students while upholding those same expectations teach youth skills that will stick with them forever. As an educator if you demonstrate what you wish to see in your students it is possible to enact this type of social change through students on a larger scale. Eventually instead of there being one teacher (in terms of social justice and the educating and reception of inclusion) there will be multiple, because your students will begin to stand up for what is and isn’t right. It wont happen overnight, but if instilled into them in a positive manor, anything is possible.

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As an educator I would encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community by making the idea of making mistakes acceptable. A lot of times students will often associate making errors, especially in math with being “dumb” or “stupid”. By normalizing mistakes in classroom it makes all students feel that it is ok to be wrong without being criticized.  “Inclusion is built on the principle that all students should be valued for their exceptional abilities and included as important members of the school community” (Algozzine & Ysseldyke, 2006; Causton-Theoharis & Theoharis, 2008). This statement supports the idea that every person has a strength and weekness, but as people we should build on each others abilities and not criticize them for things that they cannot do. You make making mistakes normal for for everyone, it sends a message that it is perfectly fine and normal to make mistakes and instead of tearing each other down, lets help to lift each other. This does not just pertain to those who are classified as having a disability. It is important to let students know that we all are human and that no one person is perfect and that we all make mistakes. With this in mind, it should, but wont always become clear to the students that they are just as susceptible to making an error as others in their class, even those with different disability classifications. As an educator you not only want to produce students that are capable of performing the task expected of them in each subject, but also competent and open minded young adults who understand things like social justice, and are aware of the world around them. Sometimes we do not realize that the biggest lessons we teach often don’t come from a textbook, but from our actions. Being a model and setting clear expectations for your students while upholding those same expectations teach youth skills that will stick with them forever. As an educator if you demonstrate what you wish to see in your students it is possible to enact this type of social change through students on a larger scale. Eventually instead of there being one teacher (in terms of social justice and the educating and reception of inclusion) there will be multiple, because your students will begin to stand up for what is and isn’t right. It wont happen overnight, but if instilled into them in a positive manor, anything is possible.

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How to create Inclusive in your own classroom.

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How to create Inclusive in your own classroom.

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As educators, how would you encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community?
I don't know how can I teach students to be inclusive of their classmates, I am new teacher and I don't have the experience, but I am a passionate new teacher who would like to see a community coming together from all different backgrounds, culture and race including students who need extra attention with school work. As an educator I would encourage and model what it means to help someone feel included in a group. In Sapon-Shevin article it reads "By embracing inclusion as a model of social Justice, we can create a world fit for all of us"  And that's what is all about creating a world that is fit for ALL, not one race, not one culture not one student but for ALL.
Do you believe that it’s possible to enact this type of social change through students and on a larger scale? Why or why not?
Change always takes time to fully come into affect, when I was going to Public school many years ago, I remember "Special Education" was place in an entire different floor away from the general students, it was believed they shouldn't be included in the same classroom because we didn't learn the same, but the problem was it became a divided school, we didn't talk to special Education students, we didn't eat at lunch time with them, we just didn't include them and they felt the same. Now things have change and we have ICT classes that broke the wall between these different type of of students. Social change is happening in our schools and in a larger scale it will continue to change for the better. Is not a prefect setting but is getting there, I believe with a couple of years we will see the change not only in our classroom but in our society.

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Educator, sounds so cool! I became an educator because I want to change the world, and that is the only way for a person like myself to do so. Inclusion is such a ‘big word’, and it is up to us to spread it around, after all, this is how we can change the world! Encouraging students bringing the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community is a challenging task, the reason is that not even our students believe in it. So, the first step we need to take is teach inclusion, explain to our young scholars that we are all different and all the same, and that there is no room for exclusion in the modern world; giving them examples of exclusion in the past and its effects should work. After the students learn this lesson, we need to follow it up with activities that would take inclusion outside of the classroom, and into the community. One activity could be to have the students make their own pamphlets on inclusion and distribute them to their neighborhood, we could also have them do interviews with people they know on what inclusion means to them.

The beautiful thing about our schools is their diversity, using that, we can reach populations that we haven’t even thought off, Africans, Arabs, Europeans, name it, they are all represented in our schools. That is how we can bring social change not just to a larger, but dare I say, a global scale. Our job should be to plant the seeds and water them, it is my belief that in a few years we will start seeing change!

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As a first-year educator, my goal this year is to create an atmosphere where all of my students feel comfortable enough to share their opinion, questions and experiences about inclusion and any topic. When students feel they are in a face space free from judgment, I feel it will allow them to open up and become transparent with their listening audience. Before that takes place, I would teach and model respectful dialogue so my students will develop the skill to respectfully disagree with a person they do not agree with. My second step would be to investigate their prior knowledge as it relates to inclusion, not limited to the classroom but also gender and race. I would use that as a method to normalize inclusion and allow my student to reflect on a time they did not feel accepted or included and then give them the opportunity to share their feelings about that experience. Once that has taken place I would facilitate a brainstorming activity where my students will list all their ideas to educate their peers in their community on the importance of inclusion and the impact it has one the community as a whole.

I believe that this type of social change through students can happen on every level, both large and small because the students in the community can relate to some form of rejection or feeling oppressed even if they are not aware of the word oppression and are capable of associating it with the feeling or experience. After we have created an environment in our classroom where students feel they have a voice and are able to recognize their own capabilities, they will become the change agents that supports both their peers and their community.

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As an educator, I do believe it is important to teach students what is socially appropriate. In order to do this, students must not only be exposed to diversity in classrooms but also be included! Most of the time, the closest students get diversity is in school. Unfortunately, exclusion happens everywhere. As stated in "Inclusion: A Matter of Social Justice", most adults have experienced exclusion at some point on the basis of race, age, sex, family background, class, sexual orientation, etc. (pg. 26) A lot of students demonstrate exclusive behavior without knowing it creates a negative social climate. Very few even know that their behavior is wrong. As an educator in an urban community where I was raised, I think it's safe to say that many students don't know what inclusion is. The children at the school I work at have never sat in class with a racial group other than what is classified as minorities or even ate at the same restaurant with such. The same theory applies to students with different educational backgrounds. Inclusive classes are fairly new in many schools. Prior to ICT classes, students with different learning disabilities were not included in a general education setting. When students are in included in anything but "their own", it's different for them. I would encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community by exposing them and giving them knowledge of different learning abilities (not disabilities), different racial groups, sexual orientations and more. This way students will be able to appreciate inclusion and differences, also teach others around them. Exposure and knowledge of these things will keep students liberated in their communities. It is definitely possible to enact this type of social change through students on a larger scale because exposure and knowledge will create positivity towards inclusion of any sort and a unified community environment.

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As educators, I believe it’s our responsibility to educate, motivate, and help form well rounded individuals. A huge part of that involves teaching our students tolerance and acceptance of people in society starting within our own classrooms. Oftentimes, students get so used to talking to each other in any way, making jokes about each other’s differences whether they are academic or physical, and hurling insults at one another as if they don’t cause pain to the ones receiving them.

Within my classrooms I plan to reiterate that fact that it is a safe space where we embrace and celebrate each other's differences and not make fun of them. I want to actually do the balled up paper activity where students start off by taking turns smashing a ball of paper. The smashing represents insults being done to an individual. Once the ball has gone around the room, the paper is opened and students try to smooth it out but realize just like the lines and crumples on the paper will never go away, the insults you hurl at someone won’t either. I will probably tweak the activity here and there to address issues I already noticed involving my ELL students and SPED students, but I had a teacher try it in the past and she found it to be very effective.

Teachers have a major impact on students. I believe once we consistently teach tolerance and understating within our classrooms students will carry these reminders, lessons, and learned behaviors with them in the general public where they will continue to implement them in their daily lives.

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As an educator I feel that I have a duty and an obligation to bringing about awareness to my school community about my students who are in inclusive classroom settings. Simply by starting a conversation with my students about what they know about their current inclusive setting and what they want their outside piers to know about it. My first week in school I had a student tell me that he knows everyone thinks him and his entire class is stupid because they are in a special ed classroom. His statement broke my heart and gives me even more fuel into bringing more awareness about inclusive classrooms. From day one in my classroom I made it extremely clear that it would be a bully free class zone. Bullying would not be tolerated in my class and everyone will be treated with respect. We will be having conversations and brainstorming sessions where together as a class they could come up with ideas and ways for our school community to be better educated on special ed. I do feel that it is possible to have this type of change through students. If my students already recognize that there is a difference between him and his “general” ed piers and it upsets him I am sure he would want to try to make a change. I hope through my teaching and discussions that many students would want to spread the word and make positive changes. My classroom is a safe space where students can make mistakes and no one is laughed at for it. My hopes are that when they go to other classes they carry out the same respect in my room in every other classroom.

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Given our current political climate as well as other happenings in the world, I think that it is our imperative as educators to include and touch upon social justice issues as much as possible in the classroom. We are tasked with shaping and creating the future leaders of tomorrow and the sort of society we want to see. I fully plan to integrate and include current events as much as possible in my lessons because it is important for them to be aware of what is happening in our world at large. More than one of my students have brought up certain political happenings that they are upset and frustrated by. I plan on capitalizing on this passion that is already sparked and robustly engaging them to see discrimination has many forms and that even though it may not directly affect you, it is nevertheless important to stand up for what is right. We are living and educating in unique times and our students know it. Through active and open discussion and thoughtful readings I believe that students will want to seek social justice in the world. If we as educators empower our students to see that they can make a difference and that it only takes one person to start a movement, large scale change and justice can be achieved.

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Given our current political climate as well as other happenings in the world, I think that it is our imperative as educators to include and touch upon social justice issues as much as possible in the classroom. We are tasked with shaping and creating the future leaders of tomorrow and the sort of society we want to see. I fully plan to integrate and include current events as much as possible in my lessons because it is important for them to be aware of what is happening in our world at large. More than one of my students have brought up certain political happenings that they are upset and frustrated by. I plan on capitalizing on this passion that is already sparked and robustly engaging them to see discrimination has many forms and that even though it may not directly affect you, it is nevertheless important to stand up for what is right. We are living and educating in unique times and our students know it. Through active and open discussion and thoughtful readings I believe that students will want to seek social justice in the world. If we as educators empower our students to see that they can make a difference and that it only takes one person to start a movement, large scale change and justice can be achieved.

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Prior to becoming a NYCTF, I was a LMSW. As a social worker at what's considered a "failing school" I saw a drastic need for social change. What I constantly shocked by, was that many of my students, who were much more impacted by these social issues than I, were so uninformed about these topics. I was very fortunate to grow up in an outspoken household. My mother was someone who would speak her mind no matter who it pissed off. She taught us to never be afraid to question authority, wrong is wrong no matter who is doing it. Today, as a teacher, I would want to start off by facilitating a class discussion about where the lack of inclusion within their/our community is? What do they consider to be inclusive? What does an all inclusive community look like to them and how does that differ from reality? By establishing a guide for the "ideal" understanding and inclusive community, we now have something to measure our reality against. This would high light the social problems we are faced with today. It is not for me to simply tell the students "this is what the world should and these are the issues standing in our way." They must come to these conclusions themselves by thinking critically about how they want the world to be, how it really is, and what actions they can take to make the necessary changes, I believe students will absolutely be motivated to fight for change. As a teacher I believe it is my responsibility to provide the opportunity to have these discussions.

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As an educator, we are also role models to our students. One way to encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into their community is to model that behavior in your classroom first. As role models, we must lead by example. In the article Inclusion: A Matter of Social Justice, Shevin writes inclusive classrooms can teach students the “inclusive, democratic society that we envision for our students and society”. The classroom is a community in itself. The way students can connect in school can be mimicked when they leave and be brought into the community. Everyone should be treated the same and should be included in all activities, the only difference should be the way some students learn. There should be a culture of understanding by making your students feel they should try their best and it is ok to make mistakes and that faltering can lead to deeper learning. In the classroom it would entail for me to understand the diversity in my class and bring equality into the classroom.  I would like to think it's possible to enact this type of change through students on a larger scale by students taking these characteristics and spreading them out into the community, treating everyone the saand have an understanding and respect for people in their community no matter their differences and maybe rub off on other members of the community. It may encourage them to participate in a local youth organization and be an inspiration to the community.

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Being an educator means not only giving academic instruction, but also producing positive citizens to enter the global community. I believe it is of great importance to build students' self-esteem, and their ability to make great choices, as well as promote their intellect.  In order to do so, I would bring current events topics into the classroom. At the start of this school year, I plan to launch a 'No Bullying' campaign in my classroom. I would also have an anonymous comment box where students can feel free to drop suggestions for class discussions. In doing so, I hope to instill practices of inclusion for all students and people regardless of identifying demographics. Sapon-Shevin (2003) details that inclusive classrooms teach our students how to create and be a part of a democratic society. I hope to bring awareness to social issues and help my students to see how they could make a change in their communities, and even in the world. I believe that students are impressionable, hence how they pick up new slang, new fashion trends, and learn the words to every new song on the radio. It is my opinion that you can impart new ways of thinking on children if you present it in ways that appeals to them.

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As an educator, I believe that is my job to make my students productive citizens. I am a firm believer that education starts at home but I know that, that might not be true in every household.
I would encourage my students to treat everyone with respect in their community, regardless if the person does not look like you, or even if they have the same beliefs as you. As a child I struggled with understanding why my mom always use to say to me treat everyone with respect , and I always use to say and what if they don't treat me with respect? My mother would say I raised you to be respectful to everyone no matter what and I expect you to do such, I never understood it until I became older. I feel if everyone taught their kids and students to be respectful to others no matter what, the world would be such a better place.
I believe that there is always room for change or improvement in any one's character. It just takes the right person or situation to change them. For example, with the tragedy that is going on in Texas there was a story of a man who had a confederate flag on his car and he was trapped, and an African American man saved him regardless of his beliefs and the man with the confederate flag apologized for his confederate flag, and the man told him he forgave him. This situation and the right person changed this grown man's heart! So I believe anything is possible.

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Background:  Sapon-Shevin (2003) details literary resources that teachers can use to teach understanding. The author states, “Inclusive classrooms can be places in which students learn to take powerful stances against oppression of many kinds, recognizing their own agency and power to change the world” (p. 28). Inclusivity can create a truly unified community environment within the classroom, something that students can bring into their larger communities.
1. As educators, how would you encourage students to bring the ideas of inclusion and understanding into the community?
2. Do you believe that it’s possible to enact this type of social change through students and on a larger scale? Why or why not?