Preslie Flemins

February 28, 2016

Prompt 1

As a future educator, there are many situations that I fear, including an assurance that I

am performing my job correctly. Another fear I have, is determining whether the policy of

inclusion is going to benefit or hurt my students. My fears stem from my recent work and/or

observation in the classroom. After working in several elementary schools, I have truly grasped

that teaching is not for everybody. Teaching is a calling. You see from a totally different

perspective once you are inside of a classroom and you realize that inclusion could be very

successful or it could be a bust!

I realize that students with disabilities receive benefits and incur challenges through

inclusion. In fact, Research revealed mixed results regarding the effectiveness of inclusion for

students with disabilities.1 Several benefits of inclusion might be that the students develop

friendships, see themselves in a more positive light, learn important academic skills, and all

imitate skills by being together. Those are great benefits for students with disabilities being

inside of a general education classroom.

There are also some challenges that students with disabilities face through the policy of inclusion

in schools. Specific challenges that are faced might be overcoming feelings of loneliness,

insecurity, defensiveness and inadequacy. More challenges are finding new ways to feel good

about themselves, make adjustments to accommodate differences, and making excuses for not

doing well.2 I imagine loneliness would be a huge obstacle for some students who are placed in

1 Vaughn, Sharon, Candace S. Bos, and Jeanne Shay Schumm. Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional,
Diverse, and at Risk in the General Education Classroom. New York, NY: Pearson, 2018. Print.

2 Hobbs, T. & Westling, D.L. (1998). Promoting successful inclusion through collaborative problem-
solving. Teaching Exceptional Children, 71, 12-19. Web.
Preslie Flemins
February 28, 2016
Prompt 1

a situation where they do not exactly fit in. I know what it is like to be different and feel like you

are not normal because of a learning disability. Children, in todays society, now make fun of

other children for everything. Growing up, I had difficulty with reading and comprehending what

I read. I was later diagnosed with dyslexia. I still am required to overcome this deficit. It was not

fun but it was something I grew up acknowledging. I understand how students with disabilities

might feel unaccepted as well. We are all human and have feelings no matter how great or small

our disability is. I do believe that it matters what type of school district in which you are located.

In my opinion, the size of the school district might contribute to the success or failure of an

inclusion policy.

I know that in my classroom I want all my students to feel safe and secure. I truly believe that

some form of inclusion is a benefit for the students, even those without disabilities. Children

should learn early in life that we are all different. They should learn to treat everyone with

respect, no matter how weak or strong they might be. I think that every child needs to be in a

general education classroom for at least a portion of the day. However, I do not feel that full

inclusion is something that is going to benefit most students with disabilities. My concern is that

students with disabilities may cause a distraction the other students and slow down the overall

learning process in the classroom. I do not have the answers to the inclusion debate, but I do

recognize that serving students with disabilities is going to be very challenging and will require a

super support system!

Preslie Flemins
February 28, 2016
Prompt 1

Work Citied:

Hobbs, T. & Westling, D.L. (1998). Promoting successful inclusion through collaborative
problem-solving. Teaching Exceptional Children, 71, 12-19. Web.
Vaughn, Sharon, Candace S. Bos, and Jeanne Shay Schumm. Teaching Students Who Are
Exceptional, Diverse, and at Risk in the General Education Classroom. New York, NY: Pearson,
2018. Print.