Teaching inclusion is extremely difficult. Teaching in New York City is difficult period. But teaching in an inclusive environment is proving to be extremely challenging. I'm constantly trying to gauge my students' aptitude and learning, their evolution and progress (as well as my own). What makes inclusion so challenging is in part the obvious: extreme abilities, extreme levels of confidence, extreme emotional levels; all put into a system that is based on uniform learning. Differentiation only goes so far, especially when they take standardized tests! I'm trying to put my feet in the shoes of my students. What would I need? What would I want to hear? What would I want to do? As much as I try to empathize my way into their experience, I can never really know, but I can try to understand.
But again, there are so many factors involved. How can I even ever truly understand? Everyday I'm reminded of how much I don't know. The power is definitely in the hands of my students. More than any one factor, they turn it on and off. I can only try to do my best to keep the 'on' switch 'on' as much as possible.
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I am a 25 year old African American male, and I have made the decision to continue my journey in life as a New York City Teaching Fellow. I got a job working at a Junior High school working within the realm of Special Education.
It was written
About Me
- NYC Teaching Fellow
- NY, NY, United States
My regular reads
- A Daughter's Geography
- Bud the Teacher
- Cal Teacher Blog
- Frumteacher
- Happy Chyck Wonders
- Is our children learning?
- It's A Hardknock Teacher's Life
- Miss Teacha
- ms. george teaches ela: year six
- NYC Educator
- Pissed Off Teacher
- RepairKit
- Round Deux
- subtext
- Teacher-n-Training
- Teaching, Technology, The Library, and other stuff
- The Jose Vilson
- Tim Fredrick's ELA Blog
- Wall Talk
- wockerjabby
2 comments:
Yeah - you're back! I can't comment on the full extreme of inclusion, but when I did some observations last semester, the teacher I was with had 2 classes that were majority inclusion. I could tell it was a struggle for her to not only readjust her lesson so that they could understand and be on task, but make it so that the other kids were not being shortchanged.
Glad you're back :). I feel where you're coming from--especially in relation to differentiation and standardized tests. I don't have any answers either; just know that you're not alone in fighting the NCLB beast and state standardized tests.
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