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Why Inclusive Education Feels Overwhelming (And How to Change It)
By Tanika T. Garrett
Inclusive Education’s (IE) core is respect and acceptance. It strives to ensure that everyone, no matter the background has access to information and experience. This does not only mean including students with disability, but also other minorities such as women, students from different socio-economic classes, marginalized ethnic and religious groups, and also LGBT students.
Taking into account all of these groups is enough to drive any educator overwhelmed. So if you’ve ever felt that inclusive education is overwhelming, you’re not alone. Teachers, parents, and administrators often find it challenging to meet the diverse needs of all students. I remember the first time I tried implementing inclusive learning in class, it honestly didn’t went the way I thought it would!
Let’s break down why this happens and how we can turn it around.
1. Too Many Differing Needs:
The sheer variety of learning styles, disabilities, and cultural backgrounds in an inclusive classroom can be daunting. Imagine trying to fit all students from all backgrounds into one homogenous learning style. It simply doesn’t work! The infamous saying “its not a one size fits all” is very true in IE, and we should never expect it to be. Every student has a different need, and that specific need has a specific strategy that needs to be implemented to ensure success in the classroom.
So take all of that individual needs, multiply it to the specific strategies needed, and you’ve got yourself a pretty daunting task as an educator.
Solution:
Working on different needs sure is overwhelming, but it is never impossible. What educators like us need to understand is that there is always a way to integrate students’ needs into the curriculum. Focus on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which promotes flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences. Implementing UDL helps in creating a supportive structure that caters to various needs.
But don’t be confused. UDL doesn’t mean opting for one sole method of teaching, it’s actually the opposite.
UDL incorporates a wide variety of techniques that allows educators to remove the barriers of learning. It promotes flexibility, something that educators practicing IE needs more than ever. Being flexible in teaching strategies makes it easier to transition from one strategy to another, making it possible for any educator to attend to any student’s needs.
2. Lack of Resources and Training:
We have come a long way when it comes to including students from different backgrounds in social settings. We sure have created a space for them in our society without labeling them with derogatory terms or pretending they don’t exist. But these are just the bare minimum.
Last year, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) reported that ever since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted in 1975, its promise to serve a funding of 40% average per-pupil spending has never even reached half in actual costs. At present, the federal funding is only shelling out 13% instead of its commitment funding budget of 40%.
This lack of funding results to a heap of obstacles that educators in IE are forced to face. Insufficient funding for special education influences educators’ decisions on student eligibility, the extent of time and services they receive, and the hiring of special education teachers, therapists, and aides. This also affects the resources for information, equipment, and even training, severely straining the quality of Inclusive Education in our country.
Solution:
Advocate for continuous professional development focused on inclusive practices. Numerous groups have called out this lack of support for special education and it has been gaining a response from the federal government. As educators, we need to be the first advocate of our students’ needs.
You don’t have to spend your personal money to become a successful special education teacher, what students need at the end of the day is someone who sees them and acknowledges their needs and includes them in daily activities.
3. Insufficient School-Parent Collaboration:
Inclusive education requires a strong parental involvement. Aside from the educators being the number one advocate for the students at school, parents should be the main advocate for their children anywhere else. This is why the support and collaboration between parents and the institution is very crucial for the development of the student.
The lack of collaboration between these two very important pillars can be overwhelming for us educators.
Solution:
Establish collaborative practices that foster communication among the important stakeholders. Parents are usually unaware of their impact in the development of their children so it’s best to open the communication through regular meetings, shared resources, and consistent updates.
Making parents aware of their importance in the equation takes away a huge chunk of stress from us educators because we know that help is being done outside of schools.
4. Unrealistic Expectations:
The pressure to achieve academic goals while managing a diverse classroom can lead to stress and burnout. There are set outcomes that every educator needs to communicate to the principal parties (parents, students, school administrators, etc.) in order to remove any disappointments that may arise once results are given.
Inclusive Education educators are not magicians, and we certainly are not miracle workers as we work with what we have and although we go beyond that, there is only so much we can do.
Solution:
Set realistic expectations and recognize that inclusion is a journey, not a destination. We also need to understand that we are not here to fix our students, but rather join them in their journey through education.
One way of keeping things in a high note is to celebrate small wins, and acknowledge any development that the student makes. This will allow them to feel seen, secure, and loved.
Parting Thoughts…
Inclusive education can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Building student confidence starts with providing equal learning opportunities for all and embracing diversity regardless of our differences. An inclusive setting empowers students to succeed both within and beyond the classroom, ensuring everyone has a fair chance to learn.
By embracing universal design, continuous training, collaborative practices, and realistic expectations, we can transform inclusive classrooms into environments where all students thrive.
It’s about progress, not perfection. Together, let’s make inclusive education less daunting and more empowering!
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