Shona
Before creativity was something that had even entered my radar as an educator I was a special needs teacher with a background in early childhood teaching. The great thing about this type of teaching education was that it asked you to study child development and how they learnt rather than focusing on content and what they learnt.
Using this foundation I taught in primary and secondary schools, special needs schools and special needs units within mainstream schools. I found that while teaching the curriculum at an appropriate level was important, what was more important was for these students to feel seen and heard and included in whatever capacity they felt was comfortable for them.
This week in our education space, the differences that our students are facing despite having similar diagnoses was especially clear and how tough it is for us to accommodate everyone despite the flexibility of our timetable. We watch the kids who don’t get along or can’t express their emotions in a positive way and know we have to be good at noticing their tiny steps forward as well as their triggers to keep the positivity in the room (for us as well as them!).
It’s also important that we are persistent and ready to endlessly tweak what we are doing as we learn more about the students and how they handle the world around them. And while it’s hard to get a six year old to take a breath before they lash out in frustration, we have faith that eventually, with support, they will begin to recognise their own signs of disregulation and have the strategies in their toolbox to get themselves out of the weeds.
On a positive note, it was wonderful to hear some of our kids responding to a book we read about inclusivity last week. ‘I have autism and so does my dad’ and ‘I have adhd and autism and it means I can hear really well’ were some of the comments we heard.
I loved hearing that!!
To think that we might all get to the point where kids are accepting of their neurodiversity and feel proud rather than embarrassed by it is such an incredible step forward and a big change from past attitudes. With more picture books about ability challenges and kids tv shows normalising differences it feels hopeful that someday we might all just get along.
I have everything crossed!
If you would like to talk about physical and neurological diversity in your classroom here are links to some great books to try Wonderfully Wired Brains, Different Thinkers, Some Brains, The World Needs More Purple People, Don’t Hug Doug (he doesn’t like it)
Naomi
This week, I've been considering the challenge of inclusion, particularly in oracy learning. Does it truly help include all students, or does it inadvertently exclude some?
Last week I was able to facilitate another Philosophy for Children P4C enquiry. It was with Year 6 this time - a last-minute change in plans due to half the class disappearing for a Footie workshop. With a smaller group, I anticipated greater engagement and participation.
On one hand, this approach offers students who might not typically speak up in class the opportunity to contribute actively. One student who is spectacularly unmotivated by written work, particularly blossomed, eagerly sharing her ideas and asking for more sessions like this. I have seen the same with my Year 5 students: those who weren't usually making contributions in class had plenty to say and confidence in expressing themselves. It’s great seeing regular classroom dynamics shaken up.
However, with the Year 6 group, some quieter girls remained very hesitant to voice their thoughts. To support their inclusion, I employed strategies like using whiteboards for initial responses and at one point a student wrote her contribution on her whiteboard and offered it to me to read out loud. For these students, it felt like social confidence was the barrier to speaking in this setting, rather than specific speech and language needs. But more opportunities to observe their response to these activities would help me learn more.
So, does oracy learning support inclusion?
I would say a resounding YES, but it also presents initial barriers to some students. To me, the fact that there are these barriers, underscores the importance of intentional oracy practice in classrooms.
Wendy Lee, a Speech and Language Consultant, argues convincingly in a blog for Oracy Cambridge that students with speech and language needs can benefit significantly from a focus on oracy. While some may require additional support to access activities, the opportunity to practice communication skills is invaluable for all students.
So why not try more activities where talk drives the learning?
Try a low stakes example this week with our Guess the Feeling Jumpstarter in our free PDF.
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