Posts Tagged ‘inclusive education’
Inclusive Schools Week 2021
Here we are, folks. Finally, we made it to the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, it’s when all the big festive holidays converge on our calendar. But, I’m not talking about those holidays; I mean the annual celebration of Inclusive Schools Week! Each year, Inclusive Schools Network, a web-based educational resource for families,…
Read MoreReady for College!
Greetings! Today I want to start with a #FlashbackFriday. Last December many of us gathered in San Diego to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of KIT and to dive into current trends in inclusive practice. One of our favorite parts of the day was a presentation by our board member Beth Foraker and her son Patrick about…
Read MoreWhen Students Admit They Need Help
We’ve all had that student. The one who pushes our extra help away because he doesn’t want his friends to know he struggles. The one who puts down teachers in front of peers to gain a few laughs. The one who acts like (and sometimes says outright) he doesn’t want to be in your class.…
Read MoreA Time When High Expectations and Inclusion Weren’t Enough
Friends, This week, I’d like to share with you a story about a young man with whom I have worked this year. This year, I had my hands full with Mark. Mark transferred to our school for 8th grade, and we did not know he had an IEP until 2 weeks into the school year.…
Read More#HowDoYouSeeMe
This year, in honor of World Down Syndrome Day (which was this Monday!), Italian advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi released a touching video which shows famous (neurotypical) actress Olivia Wilde demonstrating all of the ways that she sees herself– as someone who people can rely on, someone who laughs (and occasionally cries), someone who achieves…
Read MoreTorrie at SxSWedu!
Last week, our amazing CEO, Torrie Dunlap, spoke at South by Southwest’s education conference (SXSWedu) about the impact of inclusion and its growing capital in education and beyond. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with such an innovative and inspiring organization. Below, please read the transcript of Torrie’s talk at…
Read MoreWhen All Kids Get What They Need
I’m going to be really honest about my feelings about inclusion in reading class this school year… I was really nervous. I wasn’t really sure how to give kids the supports they needed to be able to actually read (as in, decode) texts in front of them, while their classmates were moving on to deeper levels…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to my Students
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Teach For America 25th anniversary summit in Washington, DC. The summit had over 15,000 attendees, all committed to improving the quality of education for students in low-income communities. One session that particularly moved me was titled “Fighting Like Hell for Kids: Award-Winning Teachers on Staying in…
Read MoreJack’s Story
Last year, my first year teaching, I had a student in my co-taught math class (whom I will call Jack) who was so painfully shy that I felt guilty for speaking to him; He was so clearly anxious about adult interactions that he would bite his sweatshirt sleeve until there were legitimate holes all over…
Read MoreDiversity at the Holidays
As a special education teacher who teaches in a primarily inclusive setting, I have had the pleasure of seeing inclusion in its many forms. I have seen students embrace various forms of diversity, acknowledging and celebrating many types of differences. Children are remarkable in that they are naturally curious, not judgmental, about human differences. They also…
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