Tag: inclusive education
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From Inclusion Skeptic to Inclusion Champion: My Journey as an Educator
This picture is of me in 2004, on my first day (ever) of being a teacher. At the time, I was an inclusion skeptic, thinking that children who were autistic, had an intellectual disability, or exhibited challenging behaviors were better off in a separate learning environment. It wasn’t until I experienced including my students in…
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What Special Education Teachers Need to Know About Inclusive Education
Chances are, if you already believe that inclusive education doesn’t work, a stack of research studies saying otherwise isn’t going to change your mind. That is because one of the most significant barriers to inclusion is your mindset. For special education teachers who promote inclusive practices, it is difficult to go to work every day when your colleagues either…
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Is there a model of inclusive education that works? Look no further than the CHIME Institute.
In January of 2019, I visited CHIME Institute, a fully inclusive K-8 charter school in Woodland Hills, California. I was lucky enough to tour the campus and interview the principal, Dr. Erin Studer, about what makes CHIME stand out among other charter schools. At CHIME, “it does not matter if students have a disability like…