Inclusion: A Classroom of Diverse Learners
As a future teacher, it is my goal to create a classroom environment that is stimulating that is centered on my understanding of the image of the child, which I would uphold not only in the classroom setting, but in my methods of teaching. Throughout this semester I have increasingly become interested in the various ways of creating an inclusive classroom that not only fits the needs of every child, but also involves them in every aspect of the classroom. In the following, I will describe a wonderfully written and illustrated book that I would use in my future classroom, whether or not I have a child with Down Syndrome. Given my goals as a future teacher, I hope to create a community that teaches children about differences, opening every child up to accepting their peers and the various people they meet for who they are.
Stuve-Bodeen’s engaging book, The Best Worst Brother, presents the relationship of an older sister, Emma, who is frustrated with her young, three year old brother, Issac, who was born with Down Syndrome, due to his slow language and motor skills development. As a family, Emma and her parents attempt to teach young Issac sign language, which is a transitional system of communication that is used for children with Down’s syndrome. As the story continues, Emma works really hard to help her brother understand, but yet, Issac still has trouble, never making much progression. By the end of the book, Issac begins to demonstrate that he is capable of learning, just at a slower pace than she is used to. In turn, Emma gains a better understanding of her brother’s developmental disability, thus allowing her to take great pleasure in all of his successes.
As a future teacher, I would use The Best Worst Brother in the classroom in order support inclusion and also provoke the children to learn and gain a clearer understanding of the developmental disability that Issac was born with. Following reading this wonderful and engaging story, my understanding of inclusion in the classroom added to my overall knowledge that I have achieved thus far into my educational studies. Stuve-Bodeen presents a message that not educated me, but also has provided me with a text that I can read to my students that will act as a model for how we as a class can create an inclusive setting.
As teachers, we know that no child learns the same. Based on that understanding, it is our role as educators to adjust our strategies, our techniques as well as the classroom environment that children learn in in order to accommodate all learners, regardless of their exceptionalities, differences and learning obstacles. As a teacher, it is most important to know my students, as it will allow me to make the appropriate changes to my teaching styles, which will therefore meet the needs of all my student, thus allowing them to find educational success.
Stuve-Bodeen’s engaging book, The Best Worst Brother, presents the relationship of an older sister, Emma, who is frustrated with her young, three year old brother, Issac, who was born with Down Syndrome, due to his slow language and motor skills development. As a family, Emma and her parents attempt to teach young Issac sign language, which is a transitional system of communication that is used for children with Down’s syndrome. As the story continues, Emma works really hard to help her brother understand, but yet, Issac still has trouble, never making much progression. By the end of the book, Issac begins to demonstrate that he is capable of learning, just at a slower pace than she is used to. In turn, Emma gains a better understanding of her brother’s developmental disability, thus allowing her to take great pleasure in all of his successes.
As a future teacher, I would use The Best Worst Brother in the classroom in order support inclusion and also provoke the children to learn and gain a clearer understanding of the developmental disability that Issac was born with. Following reading this wonderful and engaging story, my understanding of inclusion in the classroom added to my overall knowledge that I have achieved thus far into my educational studies. Stuve-Bodeen presents a message that not educated me, but also has provided me with a text that I can read to my students that will act as a model for how we as a class can create an inclusive setting.
As teachers, we know that no child learns the same. Based on that understanding, it is our role as educators to adjust our strategies, our techniques as well as the classroom environment that children learn in in order to accommodate all learners, regardless of their exceptionalities, differences and learning obstacles. As a teacher, it is most important to know my students, as it will allow me to make the appropriate changes to my teaching styles, which will therefore meet the needs of all my student, thus allowing them to find educational success.
Dyslexia: Informational Pamphlet
The document below is a pamphlet that was created for my course, Exceptional Students, which explains Dyslexia in great detail and provides some great strategies, such as reciprocal teaching.
| dyslexia_pamphlet.pdf |
