Inclusive Learning Environments by Deborah Coleman

Parent Participation

deborahcreel1011 — 2024-07-21 18:58:33 UTC

In the above image, we see a teacher working with two students alongside their parents. This crucial time of parent participation provides an ongoing support system in which it aids the learning while it is happening and it helps maintain and elaborate the child's gains after the time together has ended. The parents will not be able to always work with the students and the teacher together. Still, this time they do have together allows the parents to see examples of different techniques for introducing or reinforcing a skill they may not have already known about. It has been observed that children with disabilities learn more quickly when there is participation with the education at home.

To encourage parent participation while I was teaching, I would participate in the school's open house and curriculum nights. These nights were designed to show parents around the classroom, introduce what we would be learning, present the forms of communication that would be used throughout the school year, and go over school policies and programs.

I also would "officially" meet with parents at least twice a year for parent-teacher conferences as well. In these meetings we would discuss progress, what we were currently working through, and plans for the future. This would encourage the parents on how to best participate in the students learning.

Finally, I also really enjoyed sending positive emails to parents to let them know how their students went above and beyond that day, whether it was by helping a friend, improving a grade, or showing improvement on a behavior we had been working on. This allows parents to participate with me in celebrating the little things throughout the year.

Parent Communication

deborahcreel1011 — 2024-07-21 19:13:56 UTC

These photos represent the communication that should be happening continually throughout a school year. Parent participation would not be possible without communication. As I have already mentioned, parent-teacher conferences are an integral part of the relationship between a family and school. It allows the team to come together and ensure they are on the same page and have similar goals for the student.

In addition to conferences, I would send out a weekly grade-level newsletter via email and through the portal. It would consist of the specific lessons for the week with the homework, helpful video links, and any additional resources that could be used at home to support the learning such as online games or virtual flashcards. This newsletter helped to encourage a sense of community and teamwork that the parents and I had. This was achieved through an open form of communication and clear expectations.

Inclusive Learning Space

deborahcreel1011 — 2024-07-21 19:48:07 UTC

This photo shows what a "calm down corner" could look like. This type of classroom space allows students to practice independence, self-care, and self-control. Some common things you might find in a calm-down corner are soft pillows or rugs, different strategies and tools to help practice regulating emotions, and warm inviting decor. These tools can be visual timers, reminders on how to breathe, posters and books that talk about different emotions to help the student identify their feelings, and much more. Usually, these areas are set up for students who can independently identify their feelings and can then move themselves to the area. Once there, the student practices self-care and control by reviewing whichever strategy works best for them to help them settle their big emotions, and then once calm they can reflect on the situation. This behavior that reflects awareness and self-growth encourages inclusion as well. Students should not feel isolated or embarrassed for their big emotions, yet they should feel like they have a safe space to go to.

Transitions

deborahcreel1011 — 2024-07-21 20:01:09 UTC

Transitions- One specific time of the day when a class needs to transition from one task to the next is when they are moving to and from circle time. The expectations are that the students move from one place in the room to another calmly and respectfully. The students should still be able to hear the teacher and no one should be at risk of getting hurt while transitioning. This should also be done in a timely manner to help keep the class on task.

Activity to support transitions- An activity to support this transition is to have the students sing a song while transitioning to the next task. This helps keep the expectations by giving a time frame in which the transition should be completed (the length of the song one or two times) and it helps keep students calm by giving them a rhythm in which to clean up to which in turn helps keep a calm and respectful environment. To set this routine up, the teacher will need to teach the song first and practice multiple times with the class. Setting boundaries on how this should look, is also an important aspect for success.