Philosophy of Inclusion

Ph
Victoria Howard
My Philosophy of Inclusive Education

EDSP 3054
Dr. Joyce A. Brandes
28 Feb. 2013

My Philosophy of Inclusive Education
Introduction
Inclusion is a term that expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom where he or she would otherwise attend. It is an effort to make sure students with disabilities go to school along with their friends and neighbors while also receiving whatever, “specially designed instruction and support” they need to achieve high standards and succeed as learners. In my opinion, inclusion is the one of the best decisions our government has made to better the lives of all children; inclusion can improve the development of all children in many different ways. Through the grade level I will teach, my educational and teaching beliefs, and with mine and my student’s roles in education, we will continue and even try to better the process of inclusion.
Describe yourself
When I graduate, I plan to teach either first, second, or third grade with no specific content area, just the core curriculum. When I came to the University of Oklahoma I was a nursing major, and knew that I wanted to help children and thought that’s how I want to go about it; however, during a dissection in one of my courses last year I completely passed out, and came to the conclusion that this major was not for me. I had always thought about being a teacher, but certain things had kept me away from it; after this incident I just had a feeling that it was my true calling, and what I am meant to do. Teaching is such an incredibly valuable career, at all levels, but for my specific area of elementary education, we as teachers are providing the very ground work for all of our students future educational careers. Our students are our future and it is our responsibility to properly educate them so that they can excel to their full potential.
Describe some of your beliefs regarding education and teaching
I believe that every student who enters a classroom has the ability to and can succeed, and that all children have the right to a high-quality free public education. Education should be student centered, but the students must be accountable for their decisions and actions geared toward their learning. I also believe that all children have the ability to learn, however not all at the same rate or in the same way, and because of that, every student needs to be treated as an individual and every individual deserves excellence in their education. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide a high quality education, and to help students reach their full educational potential and to gain the knowledge and skills they will use for the majority, if not the rest of their lives. Teachers are role models for their students and therefore, must demonstrate a sense of respect, honesty, empathy, responsibility and a desire for learning, not only in the classroom but in their daily lives. A teacher is more than a source of learning; a teacher should be a mentor and a trusted individual that students feel comfortable and safe to share their accomplishments and challenges with. Education should incorporate both the student’s families and communities to better the educational process. When thinking about special education as defined by IDEA, I completely agree with that students with disabilities must be provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education that will prepare them for employment, independent living and further education. I agree with what IDEA entails, because this reflects what public education provides for students without disabilities, and I feel very strongly that all education should provide all students, with or without disabilities, with the same opportunities for further life prospects.
Describe your position on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and provide a rational for your position.
Like I have stated previously, I completely agree with the purpose and idea of inclusion of student with disabilities in general education classrooms. I nanny a little girl who has down syndrome and is now in kindergarten and her parents have told me numerous times how much she and her classmates are benefitting from the process of inclusion. With this little girl being in a general education classroom, she is receiving greater access to the general curriculum, increased social initiations, and acquiring peer role models for academic, social and behavior skills, that she probably wouldn’t of completely received if she was in a special education classroom all day. Her parents have seen so much progression in her social behavior in comparison to before she started kindergarten and now. Before kindergarten she had a very hard time playing nicely with others, but now after being integrated in a general education classroom, she has quit kicking, hitting, and shoving. Not only has her social behavior improved, but her academic skills have progressed tremendously; she is now able to add simple numbers, spell a collective pool of words, and read kindergarten level sentences. Students with disabilities are not the only ones who benefit from inclusion; students without disabilities also benefit tremendously from inclusion. Students without disabilities being in an inclusion classroom setting, are gaining a knowledge that not everyone is the same as they are, and creating an acceptance and appreciation for individual differences. Also, it prepares them for an adult life in an inclusive society that we luckily live in today, and most importantly it helps them create meaningful friendships, that would have been outside of their comfort zone without the inclusion setting.
Describe some of your beliefs regarding the role of education
It is my responsibility as a teacher to make sure that my students with disabilities are gaining everything they need and could acquire from inclusion; it is my duty to fulfill inclusion to the greatest degree possible, so that my students will excel to their full potential. The student’s role in education is to be continually active and engaged, they also need to ask questions of their teachers and peers, because this allows them to construct their own knowledge about learning and apply it to their own education. As teachers, we have to assure that our students are ready to assume this role by creating a caring environment, where students feel comfortable enough to express themselves and be able to ask questions. Also, for students to be active in their education they must be interested in it; therefore, it is the role of the teacher to gear the information being taught to the student’s interests. My goal for my career is to be the teacher that my students look back upon and think that I was one of the best teachers they had; not just because I was an exciting, fun teacher, but that I did a wonderful job of supplying and helping them master their fundamental education, that they will be able to carry with them, and use for the rest of their educational careers, and hopefully the rest of their lives.

My Philosophy of Inclusive Education | Points Possible | SelfAssessment | Points Awarded | Introduction | Briefly and clearly define exactly what inclusion means. Briefly state your position on inclusion and outline the main points to be discussed in your paper. | 6-8 | 7 | | Briefly and clearly state your position on inclusion but exclude the main points to be discussed in your paper. | 3-5 | | | Description of your position lacks clarity or is missing. | 0-2 | | | | Describe yourself | 0-6 | 6 | | Clearly describe area and grade level you will teach | | Explain why you decided to enter the teaching profession | | Explain why you believe teaching is a valuable career | | | Describe some of your beliefs regarding education and teaching | 0-7 | 6 | | Define education beliefs | | Define teaching beliefs | | Explain how you view the role of school in society | | Describe your personal opinion about the purpose of special education as described in IDEA. | | | Describe your position on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and provide a rational for your position. | Clearly state your position and include 3 or more facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences, etc. that support your position. | 6-8 | 6 | | State your position and include 2 facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences, etc. that support your position. | 3-5 | | | State your position and include at least 1 fact, statistic, example, real-life experiences, etc. | 0-2 | | | | Describe some of your beliefs regarding the role of education | 0-9 | 8 | | Explain how you view your role as a teacher in the inclusion of students with disabilities. | | Explain the student's role in his/her education. | | Explain how we assure that all students are prepared to assume the role you described. | | Explain how you wish to be remembered by the students you teach. | | | | Overall presentation and structure of the paper | Three to six-page report that is high quality and integrates facts; reader solidly understood the writer's position; paper contains few or no grammatical or mechanical errors; paper is formatted as modeled in assignment. | 8-12 | 10 | | Three to six-page report that presents facts but some connections between ideas/position are weak or unclear; paper contains 3 or less grammatical or mechanical errors; for the most part the paper is formatted as modeled in assignment. | 4-7 | | | Report was poorly written; the author's position on inclusion and ideas were unclear OR nonexistent; paper contained more than 4 grammatical/mechanical errors; paper is not formatted as modeled in assignment. | 0-3 | | | Total points possible | 50 | 44 | |