Challenges Teachers Face & Strategies to Combat Them
Introduction
Inclusive education in Australia is ever changing. It encompasses not only students from non-English speaking backgrounds but also students with mental and physical disabilities (Elkins, van Kraayenoord & Jobling, 2003). An inclusive classroom is one where the teacher makes adjustments to the curriculum and the classroom layout to strengthen and accommodate the needs of all their students. The purpose of this essay is to highlight some of the issues teachers encounter within the inclusive classroom and to provide information on intervention strategies that can be implemented.
Issues and Strategies
To provide a quality inclusive classroom, teachers are faced with numerous challenges. In the author’s view, one of the main challenges is that of time constraints. According to Queensland’s Department of Education and Training website (2011), teachers (in Queensland) are entitled to two hours of non-contact time each week. This time is available to teachers due to their students being at LOTE, music or PE lessons. In these two hours teachers are required to plan and gather resources, follow up behaviour incidences, send emails, complete administrative paperwork and adjust learning activities to encompass children with learning difficulties, and ensure Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals are being met. This leaves little time to confer with specialist teachers regarding students with disabilities (Pearce, Campbell-Evans & Gray, 2010).
Funding is another challenge that inclusive classroom teachers can face (Rodriguez & Caplan, 1998). Teachers require funding for materials to support student learning and to allocate teacher aide time to work with students with disabilities within the classroom. This is one of the reasons that early identification and assessment of students is essential (Marsh, 2008). The identification and assessment process is a lengthy one. Teachers need to collect data, submit forms and await validation before funding
Inclusive education in Australia is ever changing. It encompasses not only students from non-English speaking backgrounds but also students with mental and physical disabilities (Elkins, van Kraayenoord & Jobling, 2003). An inclusive classroom is one where the teacher makes adjustments to the curriculum and the classroom layout to strengthen and accommodate the needs of all their students. The purpose of this essay is to highlight some of the issues teachers encounter within the inclusive classroom and to provide information on intervention strategies that can be implemented.
Issues and Strategies
To provide a quality inclusive classroom, teachers are faced with numerous challenges. In the author’s view, one of the main challenges is that of time constraints. According to Queensland’s Department of Education and Training website (2011), teachers (in Queensland) are entitled to two hours of non-contact time each week. This time is available to teachers due to their students being at LOTE, music or PE lessons. In these two hours teachers are required to plan and gather resources, follow up behaviour incidences, send emails, complete administrative paperwork and adjust learning activities to encompass children with learning difficulties, and ensure Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals are being met. This leaves little time to confer with specialist teachers regarding students with disabilities (Pearce, Campbell-Evans & Gray, 2010).
Funding is another challenge that inclusive classroom teachers can face (Rodriguez & Caplan, 1998). Teachers require funding for materials to support student learning and to allocate teacher aide time to work with students with disabilities within the classroom. This is one of the reasons that early identification and assessment of students is essential (Marsh, 2008). The identification and assessment process is a lengthy one. Teachers need to collect data, submit forms and await validation before funding
References: Autism Spectrum Australia (2010). What is Autism? Retrieved from http://www.autismspectrum.org.au/a2i1i1l237l113/what-is-autism.htm Connor, M Department of Education and Training, (2011). HRM-PR-011: Non-contact time - primary, special and early childhood teachers. Statement of intent. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr011/ Donaldson, K Eaves. R., and Poteet, J. (n.d.). Intervention. (pp. 1150-1152). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/mrw_content/speced/articles/speced1125/image_n/speced1125.pdf Education Queensland, (2011) Laird, T.F.N., (2005). Research into higher education. [online]. Experiences with Diversity. v. 46 n. 4. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/w46518662786vw67/ Marsh, C Rodriguez, G. & Caplan, J. (1998). Critical Issue: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Young Children. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea400.htm Special Education Services (2008) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO], (2011) Inclusive Education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education/ University of Melbourne (2002)