What are some of the challenges of inclusion?
A: Based on my experiences in student teaching
as well as those I’ve had during my Field Experience requirements, I believe
there are four primary challenges teachers need to be aware of. These would include 1) The danger of a
two-system situation; that is, a clear and distinct separation between general
and special education. 2) Another
challenge for me is to make sure that there is complete accountability and a
process in place to collect data objectively.
3) One of the biggest challenges would be to ensure that my expectations
for special education students are not artificially low or, even worse,
non-existent. And, finally 4) I need to
ensure, and convey, a philosophy that my general education classroom would be
not be disrupted if and when special education students are included. I know these are not easy challenges to deal
with; but, deal with them I must if each and every one of my students is to
achieve a measure of academic success.
If the answer above sounds detailed and specific – that is
intentional. If I was a betting person,
I could almost guarantee you that you’ll get a question (or two) regarding
inclusion – especially if you are an elementary teacher. Take the time and make the effort to know everything
you can about inclusion. Otherwise, your job search may be longer than you planned.
