Inclusion refers to creating a classroom culture where all the students feel welcomed and valued. Where their contributions are accepted, and they’re empowered to develop together regardless of their specific abilities or diverse backgrounds. It nurtures the belief that every child has the right to quality education and can learn with peers. It consists of teaching and learning approaches that appreciate, regard, and work for various learners and acknowledge that all learners bring different attributes and experiences in the classroom.
Since every field, sector, and industry is striving to eradicate biases and prejudice, the education sector must also play its part. Promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity leads to better student outcomes and improved performance. When students from various backgrounds engage and learn together, they harness and benefit from unique traits, beliefs, and perspectives.
Let’s explore some factors that demonstrate the significance of inclusion in education.
- Turning Classrooms into Safe Spaces During Unprecedented Times
Covid-19 has considerably impacted the emotional needs of students. During the pandemic, children remained isolated at their homes with little to almost zero interaction with the outside world. There was a constant barrage of news related to the devastating effects of Covid 19. Children had to deal with the loss of family members, friends, and community members with an increase in students’ mental health concerns globally. Now that students worldwide have returned to their physical classrooms, they’re emotionally vulnerable. Many of them are still struggling to process the past few years’ devastating events. Most have missed out on their academics and are way behind the required standards resulting in a sharp increase in students’ anxiety, stress, and depression.
The need for inclusive classrooms has become more urgent and apparent. In this regard, teachers can help students by turning their classrooms into safe spaces for all learners to meet their emotional and academic needs. For this purpose, teachers worldwide are enrolling in online counseling school programs to fulfill their duty of creating an environment favorable for growth and learning. Such online programs allow educators to address various challenges and issues facing students while promoting inclusivity and diversity.
Additionally, providing professional counseling to students in need to tackle their mental health issues and ensure that they feel safe/protected in their classrooms. Consequently, inclusive classroom culture has played a fundamental role in countering the detrimental effects of Covid-19 on students.
- Meet the Needs of Students with Special Needs
Inclusion plays an essential role in meeting the needs of students with special needs. Children with disabilities are often left out in a traditional setup. Their peers deliberately exclude them in academic and extracurricular settings. As a result, they feel lonely, disregarded, and isolated. Children find it challenging to communicate with their peers, creating a massive barrier between them. At times this lack of communication leads to disabled children getting bullied by their peers, which further deteriorates their mental and emotional wellbeing. They find it hard to make friends and remain isolated, negatively impacting their educational performance. By creating an inclusive classroom environment, teachers can eliminate bias towards such children.
Teachers in an inclusive classroom emphasize educating the students about their specially-abled peers’ abilities, limitations, and interests. They create opportunities for abled and differently-abled students to interact harmoniously. Moreover, teachers and school leaders create curriculums and lesson plans that include teaching practices that foster inclusion. They consider all categories of students to ensure equal learning possibilities, especially for differently-abled students to achieve academic growth.
- Respect for Cultural Diversity
Undoubtedly, inclusion in education is instrumental in encouraging cultural diversity in schools. In an inclusive classroom, teachers understand their students’ cultural backgrounds, which helps establish trust. Eventually, this trust creates a bond between the teachers and the students, and they feel valued. Moreover, teachers create opportunities for students to learn about their ethnic backgrounds and peers’ backgrounds. This way, students learn to respect their backgrounds and the differences in the backgrounds of other students and become sensitive to everyone’s culture, traditions, and beliefs.
When students talk about other cultures with respect, this creates a safe and comfortable classroom environment for students to learn and grow. They learn to respect the cultural differences of their peers, and every student feels included. It stimulates students’ cultural awareness, strengthening their sense of identity and fostering inclusion in the classroom community. Teaching diversity prepares students to become better citizens, exposes them to various cultures, and instills a deep respect for cultural diversity.
- Improved Students’ Outcomes
All the students in an inclusive classroom are treated individually. Teachers in an inclusive setup adopt differentiated teaching practices to cater to both disabled and non-disabled students. By tailoring instruction to meet individual needs, an inclusive classroom teaches students many different ways to learn.
Everyone is different and can learn based on their abilities. Teachers alter the learning environment, content, and teaching practices to ensure that learners achieve unprecedented growth based on their capacities. When students are taught and assessed according to their unique abilities, they perform better. Inclusive education benefits all learners by responding to various learning needs and abilities and creating a good learning experience.
In addition, teachers create increased collaboration and participation opportunities for their learners in an inclusive classroom. Students improve their academic achievements when collaborating with their peers and participating more actively in classroom activities. Therefore, inclusion in education results in improved academic performance of all learners.
Conclusion
Inclusion in today’s classrooms is highly significant given its role in meeting students’ social, emotional, and academic needs. It nurtures an environment where students feel comfortable, valued, and protected. They appreciate the differences of their peers and hold them in great regard. Similarly, inclusive learning is significant in changing biased attitudes and behaviors in classrooms. Therefore, teachers and administrators must foster a sense of inclusion in the classroom to ensure all the students become active members of their community regardless of their abilities and backgrounds. As a result, they develop a sense of belonging, respect others, and become better prepared for life. Now, it’s the responsibility of education leaders to uphold and promote inclusivity and diversity in their institutes.
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