Students with Disabilities in Mainstream Classrooms a Resource for Teachers

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.Edition: 2007Description: 40 pagesSubject(s): Online resources: Summary: This resource has been written for mainstream teachers who have, or are about to have, a student with a disability in their classroom. The booklet may also be useful for teaching assistants, parents and others. The resource is based on recent research and experience in schools and classrooms across Australia. We are very supportive of inclusive practice but we also appreciate that some teachers have concerns about teaching a student with a disability in their mainstream class. Some believe they don’t have the skills, experience or resources to do a good job and wonder why the student is not in a special school or class. This booklet simply aims to provide you with up-to-date, teacher-friendly suggestions for responding to the diversity that’s in every classroom these days. This resource acknowledges that most Australian teachers have to deal with multiple demands and that most teachers feel that time – or the lack of it – is their most significant barrier. It is not so much students with disabilities who worry them but trying to fit in everything that has to be done on a typical school day can be very stressful. That is why this resource focuses on strategies that are practical, feasible and efficient of teachers’ time. In section one we introduce the topic and briefly deal with a few big questions. How is Australian society responding to “difference” and what is the impact on schools and teachers? What does disability really involve? What is driving inclusive practice? What supports do teachers need if they are going to teach inclusively? And, what is the evidence on which this resource is based? In section two we focus on practical strategies that all mainstream teachers can use – if they choose. We have seen typical teachers using every one of these strategies. In this section we provide evidenced-based strategies that will help you with all of your students, i.e. general and specific ways of organising your class and teaching. Section two also deals with the difficult decision about whether you should adapt teaching and/or content, and how you could do it. Once again, we briefly describe feasible and realistic approaches. Our research in Australian schools has shown that teachers who successfully include students with a disability in their class tend to collaborate a lot with others. So, in this section we also provide examples of how to involve others – teachers, parents, other students, teaching assistants and members of the school community. As including students with disabilities in secondary schools poses particular difficulties, we have included a sub-section on the topic. It would be counterproductive to fill this booklet with effective strategies that teachers don’t have time to implement. Therefore we have focused on feasible strategies that many teachers around the country are already using and we have included a sub-section on how classroom teachers can find more time for planning, collaborating and/or teaching. Section two concludes with some ideas on how you can contribute to whole school change. Although individual teachers can and do make a difference, it is certainly easier if the school community reaches consensus about goals, roles and procedures. It is impractical for a booklet like this to try and deal with every issue about teaching students with disabilities in mainstream classes so in section three we provide additional resources, references and websites.
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This resource has been written for mainstream teachers who have, or are about to have, a student with a disability in their classroom. The booklet may also be useful for teaching assistants, parents and others. The resource is based on recent research and experience in schools and classrooms across Australia.
We are very supportive of inclusive practice but we also appreciate that some teachers have concerns about teaching a student with a disability in their mainstream class. Some believe they don’t have the skills, experience or resources to do a good job and wonder why the student is not in a special school or class.
This booklet simply aims to provide you with up-to-date, teacher-friendly suggestions for responding to the diversity that’s in every classroom these days.
This resource acknowledges that most Australian teachers have to deal with multiple demands and that most teachers feel that time – or the lack of it – is their most significant barrier. It is not so much students with disabilities who worry them but trying to fit in everything that has to be done on a typical school day can be very stressful. That is why this resource focuses on strategies that are practical, feasible and efficient of teachers’ time. In section one we introduce the topic and briefly deal with a few big questions. How is Australian society responding to “difference” and what is the impact on schools and teachers?
What does disability really involve? What is driving inclusive practice? What supports do teachers need if they are going to teach inclusively? And, what is the evidence on which this resource is based? In section two we focus on practical strategies that all mainstream teachers can use – if they choose. We have seen typical teachers using every one of these strategies. In this section we provide evidenced-based strategies that will help you with all of your students, i.e. general and specific ways of organising your class and teaching.
Section two also deals with the difficult decision about whether you should adapt teaching and/or content, and how you could do it. Once again, we briefly describe feasible and realistic approaches.
Our research in Australian schools has shown that teachers who successfully include students with a disability in their class tend to collaborate a lot with others. So, in this section we also provide examples of how to involve others – teachers, parents, other students, teaching assistants and members of the school community.
As including students with disabilities in secondary schools poses particular difficulties, we have included a sub-section on the topic.
It would be counterproductive to fill this booklet with effective strategies that teachers don’t have time to implement. Therefore we have focused on feasible strategies that many teachers around the country are already using and we have included a sub-section on how classroom teachers can find more time for planning, collaborating and/or teaching. Section two concludes with some ideas on how you can contribute to whole school change.
Although individual teachers can and do make a difference, it is certainly easier if the school community reaches consensus about goals, roles and procedures.
It is impractical for a booklet like this to try and deal with every issue about teaching students with disabilities in mainstream classes so in section three we provide additional resources, references and websites.

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