Involving Everyone as Part of an Inclusive Classroom Setting

"It's so powerful to see what happens when we don't divide people. Whether you can talk or not has nothing to do with whether you're my friend or not, was the feeling I got at a birthday party I went to for 6-year-olds. They accepted their friend s as they were and had incredible friendships. So what can we do? We need to restructure schools into communities that support children. Once we create good schools and good classrooms in that vein, then inclusion will happen." Chris Kliewer, Ass ociate Professor of Special Education, UNI

" One way to help prepare students would be to provide opportunities for all students to improve their self-esteem, not just students with specific challenges. We need to provide opportunities daily as part of the curriculum for students to self-r eflect, self-evaluate to know themselves better." Susan Etschedit, Professor of Special Education, UNI

" We need to provide opportunities for all kids to have success every day of their lives." Kathy East, Support Services Coordinator, Price Lab School, UNI

Here are a few starting points for working to prepare students, teachers, and administrators to be part of an inclusive school.

1. Address attitudes and values - Have involved persons identify what areas of inclusion they are comfortable with and what they are not comfortable with. Don't put values on these; just identify them.
2. Information - Read books, watch videos, talk to teachers of inclusive classrooms, do simulation activities for an inclusive classroom, visit inclusive schools to get information to build self-confidence and self-esteem for teachers and students to be part of inclusive education.
3. Application - Take the risk with a support system in place to be receptive and willing to accommodate children with greater needs. This takes leadership from principals, teachers, and students and means a whole attitude of acceptance, tolerance, and respect.