Advocating inclusive education

MY ADVOCATE for inclusive education began when I attended a National Training in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, on Inclusive Education more than a year ago. It was organized by the Bureau of Learning Delivery – Student Inclusion Division. It was an exciting and knowledge filled seminar, but most of all it touched my heart. I am blessed to be chosen as the participant for elementary level representing Schools Division of Baguio City.

Inclusive education is including all learners in the general classroom. It encompasses children who are marginalized and disadvantage, abused, indigent, indigenous, Muslim learners, and learners with disability, from mild to profound.

To make inclusive education happen, a teacher must make and take everything he or she can for the pupil to cope up. Seemingly added task, but if the teacher has a big heart full of love for these children entrusted to them, then it can be done. Teachers may not be able to change every child in their class, but to change even just one, then what they do is worth it.

The biggest barrier, but can also be turned into an important factor in the implementation of inclusive education or in any program for that matter, is Teacher’s Attitude. The variable that affects pupils’ performance in school is teacher factor. Number one factor is the attitude of teachers. Research based studies have shown that 35 percent is teacher factor on why pupils drop out, why pupils fail in school but this 35 percent is also the reason why the learners succeed. What is then the implication of this to us educators? We should look into ourselves, reflect on our teaching, revisit our practices, and update our personal skills, knowledge, competencies, and grab opportunities to have our skills be enhanced because one cannot give what one does not have. According to Doctor Ilene Schwartz (2015), to influence and motivate students to learn and see self- improvement, teachers must also continuously learn and better themselves. Teachers can use this 35 percent to influence the pupils to succeed in his or her studies. This is a big factor in order to make a difference in the life of a student.

How then does one implement inclusive education? One is employing different strategies. One is Universal Design for Learning. UDL is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that give all learners an equal opportunity to learn and succeed. UDL help teachers use varied methods, materials, and assessments, so they can meet the needs of all students better. UDL classrooms are flexible where learners can access the material, engage in learning, and show what they know. UDL takes the opposite approach. Universal in context, means being flexible to meet the needs of all learners.

The goal of UDL is to use a variety of teaching means, methods, and materials to remove any barriers to learning, giving all students equal opportunities to succeed. It is about preparing the learning environment so that teachers have what they need to flexibly meet the strengths and needs of a wide range of students.

In practice, teachers will provide information in more than one format: e.g. in written text, audio, video, and hands-on learning options. These will give all learners the chance to access content in ways best suited to their learning preference. Another is teachers give learners more than one way to interact with the content and to show what they have learned. For instance, learners have the option to choose pencil and paper test, others might take oral or visually based presentation or do a group project. And third is, teachers are encouraged to find multiple ways to motivate students.

Receiving teachers are teachers who have learners with special needs included into their general classrooms. Their role as receiving teachers is to have each learner in their class learn and feel he and she belong.

I, then urge and encourage my co-educators to embrace inclusive education. This is not a program that we just merely implement. It is not an added task to our work rather it is an educational philosophy where it recognizes that every child can learn but not at same rate and not at

TEACHERS’ NOOK, 7

teacher’s nook