Am I the only teacher who has a problem with inclusion?

Question

I have a class of 21 first graders, one of which suffers from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and one who is MR (mentally retarded). I have an aide for exactly 45 minutes a day. Now, while the children are sweet, they are completely disruptive in the classroom. Imagine trying to teach brand new math concepts while the two special ed. children are yelling out, thowing things or moving around the room. The boy with the TBI is wheelchair bound and unlocks his wheels and wants to spin around the room all day. The rest of the kids are completely distracted by these two. Even the 45 minutes a day I do have an aide, they are so loud, it's almost impossible to teach the rest of the kids, because they are all too distracted by what is going on at the special ed. table. Does anyone else have this same problem? Do you think inclusion will ever be revoked? I'm all for inclusion if it's effective (i.e. a child who can and will learn from the class) but I really feel these two should be in a self contained special ed. room with constant supervision. I've also NEVER experienced inclusion with a full time aide, and it's extremely frustrating and makes school less effective for the 'normal' kids. It's like we are worrying more about being politically correct with the special ed kids, and by doing so, leaving the normal kids "behind".

Answer 1

Are these students also receiving pull out services?  Check these students' IEPs.  I find it very unlikely that it is not clearly stated in the IEP how many hours of individual instruction or instruction with an aid they are required to receive.  I also find it unlikely that a student with TBI or MR is not required to have an aid for more than 45 minutes, especially if they are not also receiving pull out services.  If it is stated in the IEP it is required by law.  Once you know that information talk to the special education teachers at your school.  If that doesn't work move up the ladder to the principal and the special education department at the board of education for your district.  

I have 3 special education inclusion students in my class.  One has a language disorder and two have autism.  One also has muscular dystrophy.  2 require an aid and she is with them all day (except for her lunch break).

I do not think it is fair that these students are in your class without the proper support.  It is not fair to them, the other students, or you.  You are the only one who is going to stick up for yourself.  So you need to say something now.

Answer 2

I taught in a district that had tried inclusion in the first part of this decade.  It failed miserably because our specials were so low and there was no way to adequately teach them and our average/gifted students together.  (We were a very small rural district with a disproportionally-large number of EMR--or within just a couple of points of EMR--students.  We had very few borderline students, and very few gifted students--not even enough to justify a full-time teacher on any campus.)

After EVERYONE's scores plunged to the point where we were given an unacceptable rating, we placed students according to performance, and scores improved because we could tailor the lessons to the students' needs.

So what happens?  The state MANDATES inclusion.  We have no choice.  Even though we proved it didn't work, we had to go back to it.  What a mess.

Answer 3

Inclusion in first grade? Quit gripping! Try full inclusion in 6th grade!!  Try having a class of 17 6th grade students with 13 of them having an IEP! That is what I had to deal with last school year. We are talking about education 6th graders with LD, MR, Autism, OHI and ED in the class with the other students each day. There was one general ed teacher and one special ed teacher. At least the first grade material isn't as difficult as 6th grade material for students. Talk to your students with special needs' parents. Remember, parents are the greatest advocates for their children.

Answer 4

I teach sped and I hate that you have had a rough time with inclusion. I think Inclusion work for students that are very near grade level as well as have the cognitive ability to be engaged in the classroom. It sounds like the two students that you have described would be better served in  sped  classroom.  I think sometime parents as well as well intentioned educator want to have EC students engaged with their general education peers as much as possible.I would suggest that you start to document the occurrences and meet with your administrator and see what can be done. I seems to me that little instruction can take place for anyone at that time and that is not good for anyone one of your 21 student's .

Answer 5

I think that inclusion can be very helpful to students who can sit through a lesson and learn the material being taught.  Children are to be placed in their least restrictive environment and it sounds as if this is not the best placement for them.  Their parents should advocate for a full time aide that can work one on one with them alongside you and your lessons.  The aide can then also remove the child when needed.  What happens when the child in the wheelchair needs to use the restroom?  Is he capable of going to the bathroom himself or is he in a diaper which means you need to change him?  I think that you need to set up an IEP meeting ASAP with the parents, principal, special education teacher, and yourself to reassess the placement of these students.

Answer 6

You have two kids in inclusion? At least your school is doing what it's suppose to. I've seen where 40-50 percent of the students are inclusion students, and at that point teaching anything to anyone is bizarre.

Teaching is hard, and it does get a lot harder. You just have to look at your lessons to see how you can be the most effective in the environment you have. There will be years that will be tremendously worse than this one (in the sense of an ideal environment) and years much better, but whatever the lay of the land looks like, your value as a teacher is going to be how you respond and rise to the situation. And to answer your question... no, inclusion is not going away, it will only grow.  

Answer 7

While it can be extremely hard on the teacher it is best for all students.  In the real world we all work together and learn how to.  If he is a danger to the other students he needs to be removed from the room.  If that means you need to call the principal or a para. to come get him, so be it.  But I have learned it is best to teach the other students to ignore the behavior as much as possible and work with the child to maintain some sanity in the classroom.  It sounds like you need a full time aide to do this.

But, I find it hard to believe these kids come in knowing nothing.  What did they learn in Kindergarten?  Shouldn't you be reviewing that at the moment (unless you are in a year round school or something), and lets also be fair.  You are not teaching them 6th grade work.  You are teaching them 1st grade work.

Many things can be modified, it is really not that difficult once you get over the idea of not having perfect children in your class.  Talk with the parents and the special ed. department.  See what can be done.