Campus Connections: Inclusion

Ask The Expert

How does Western Oregon State prepare its students for inclusive classrooms?
We believe that every student teacher, not just the special education student teacher, benefits from understanding how to teach the special needs child. That’s why we work in teams and a special ed educator is always part of that team. Skills on teaching the special needs child are taught in every education class at the university because every school classroom nowadays has a special needs child. We link reality with training.

How do you accomplish this?
Teaching the special needs child is integrated throughout our curriculum. Because we have a special ed educator on the team, there’s always the opportunity to step back to examine how this instruction can be delivered to a child with a learning disability or a child with a behavioral disorder. If a student never sees examples in practice, how can we expect him, as a teacher, to teach in an inclusive setting?

Do you see this trend increasing in teacher education?
I hope so. At Western Oregon State, we realized long ago that if we didn’t restructure our program, our students would leave the university without the full complement of skills possible. But that goes for understanding children of different cultures, learning styles, and ethnicities, too. That’s why we’ve also worked hard to recruit minority teachers and strengthen our students’ understanding of the diverse communities they may enter. A comprehensive teacher training program should ensure that graduates leave here able to teach children of all abilities.

What are your biggest concerns about inclusion and teacher education?
As a former special education teacher and counselor, I know how significant the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to education because it has opened the door to so many special needs children and given them access to education with their peers. It’s nice to see more and more inclusive classrooms.The problem is that many of the teachers in those classrooms need training, support, and resources, and that has to begin right at the beginning in teacher education. Too many schools of education offer an introductory course on special needs children and nothing more.

What about the students who have access to only one class?
Unfortunately, this is all too common. It’s almost a one-time-only opportunity to understand the multiple levels of special needs and the teaching challenges they create. First, I would see if there were any way to advocate for more classes on special education for regular ed students. If that doesn’t work, I would try to make sure that class is more comprehensive. But I wouldn’t want to stop there.

What would you recommend?
Try to supplement your education with additional training. Lots of conferences and workshops run by organizations address special education. Make sure you link up with a mentor and try to make a connection with a nearby school so that you can observe how they deal with inclusion and talk to teachers about their experiences and your concerns.