Inclusive Classroom Model

Is the Inclusive Classroom Model Workable?

One of the most rewarding years in my seventeen year teaching career was the year I had a full inclusion class. The amazing part was that my students didn’t even know that I was their special education teacher. They viewed me as just one of their teachers. The regular education students also had no idea that I was there especially for the ten students that had Individual Education Plans. After having a year like that you would think that my answer to the question would be absolutely yes. Well not quite. A closer look at the inclusive model is necessary to weigh in on this question. In TAKING SIDES: CLASHING VIEWS ON EDUCATIONAL ISSUES, Mara Sapon-Shevin, (2008) states, “In our increasingly diverse world, all people need to be comfortable with diversity. Inclusion benefits all students by helping them understand and appreciate that the world is big, that people are different, and that we can work together to find solutions that work for everyone”. (as cited in Noll, pg. 233) I agree with this statement however, does that mean inclusion will work for all? According to Wade A. Carpenter, (2008) inclusion “does not mean that every student is educated with peers at all times, but it does mean that
If it is not in the best interest of all students in the classroom for the special education student to remain there, the team can and should make changes in the student 's placement. There is not one recipe for the inclusion of special education students. Because inclusion is individualized, it will look different for every student.”(Pg. 67) This is the statement that I agree with the most. I do not believe that one size fits all! I do believe that inclusion works under the right circumstance and with the right