module 9 inclusive classrooms - te kete...

Inclusive classrooms

Module 9 Workbook

MODULE

9

9 Inclusive classrooms

MODULE 9 Teachers and Teachers’ Aides Working Together APR 2014 / 2

About this resource Teachers and Teachers’ Aides Working Together is a professional development resource for schools. It has nine modules that teachers and teachers’ aides complete together.

Each module is a ‘ready-to-use’ pack with a PowerPoint presentation, workbook and activities so learning can be put into practice.

Download the learning materials for this module at: teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/Our-work-together/Module-9

To find out more and to access the other modules go to: teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz

http://teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/Our-work-together/Module-9

http://teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/


A guide to using this module ................................................................................. 4

1 Get started ............................................................................................................. 5

2 Watch the presentation ........................................................................................ 8

3 Choose an activity .............................................................................................. 14

4 Plan for practice ................................................................................................. 17

5 Give it a go .......................................................................................................... 19

6 Talk about how it went ....................................................................................... 20

Activity 1 ................................................................................................................. 21

Activity 2 ................................................................................................................. 23

Activity 3 ................................................................................................................. 28

Activity 4 ................................................................................................................. 31

Activity 5 ................................................................................................................. 32


Other modules in this series• Teachers and teachers’

aides: Who does what?

• Keeping our workconfidential, professionaland safe

• Supporting students withcomplex needs

• What do we think about

disability and diversity?

• Identifying students’ strengths

• Students participating in theirIndividual Education Plans(IEP)

• Understanding the NewZealand Curriculum

• Fostering peer relationships

A guide to using this module

A guide to using this module This module follows an inquiry cycle. The workbook has a section for each step in the cycle.

For the facilitator

Before doing the module:

» download the Facilitator Quick Guide from teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/ Need-to-know/Facilitators and follow the instructions

» download the PowerPoint presentation from teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/ Our-work-together/Module-9, this can be watched online

» download Volume 1, Issue 1 of Kairaranga and make copies of Helen Steven’s article about the impact of teachers’ aide proximity (pages 40-44). Go to: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/fms/Colleges/College%20of%20Education/Documents/C&P/Kairaranga/Volume%2011_Issue%201_2010.pdf Encourage participants to read the article before doing the module (Activity 4).



http://teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/Need-to-know/Facilitators

http://teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/Need-to-know/Facilitators



http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/fms/Colleges/College%20of%20Education/Documents/C&P/Kairaranga/Volume%2011_Issue%201_2010.pdf



Take some time to read and talk about the cartoon, quotes and key principles. They introduce the main ideas covered in this module. The learning outcomes describe what you’ll achieve once you’ve completed the six steps.

Having an adult by a student’s side for all or most of the school day can actually interfere with a student’s inclusion as a participating member of the classroom community.

Giangreco et al, 2005, p.28

I would like to get less support and I would like to decide who supports me... and in which parts of my schedule ...

If I were allowed to use the computer more I wouldn’t need so much help at school. It’s not much fun having all these old ladies hanging around me all the time.

Secondary school student, quoted in Egilson & Traustadottir,

2009, p 27



Key principles • Teachers and teachers’ aides have a

responsibility to create learningenvironments that support all learners.

• In inclusive classrooms, all students haveopportunities to be as independent aspossible, connected to others and self-determining in their everyday decisions.

• The ways some teachers’ aide support isused may have negative impacts onstudents.

• Excessive one-to-one support for astudent may reduce teacher engagementwith, and sense of responsibility for, thatstudent.

• Excessive teachers’ aide proximity maymake a student over-dependent on adultsand get in the way of peer interactions.

• Teachers’ aide support should ultimatelylead to keeping all students in theclassroom, learning alongside and withtheir peers and teacher.

• Natural supports are the everydayrelationships and opportunities in aschool that can help all studentsparticipate. These supports (eg, peers)should be considered for students withspecial education needs.

Learning outcomes Teachers and teachers’ aides will aim to: 1. Identify and describe how they can

influence the opportunities all studentshave to engage and participate in learning.

2. Identify effective and ineffective ways ofcreating an inclusive learning environment.

3. Plan and implement a new strategy thatsupports opportunities for students toparticipate and contribute in a sharedlearning activity.

4. Reflect and evaluate the effectiveness ofthe strategy in enhancing studentcontributions and participation.

Next step



2 Watch the presentation

Visit teachersandteachersaides.tki.org.nz/Our-work-together/Module-9 to download or watch the presentation about inclusive classrooms. See the handout for a summary of the presentation (pages 10 and 11).




Why this module?

Teachers and teachers’ aides have a responsibility in creating learning environments that support all students. In inclusive classrooms, all students have opportunities to be as independent as possible, connected to others and self-determining in their everyday decisions. In this module, supporting students in the classroom, reducing one-to-one time with a teacher’s aide and reducing excessive teachers’ aide proximity are discussed.

One-to-one may limit teacher involvement

US research has found that when a teacher’s aide works one-to-one with a student this can reduce the amount of engagement between the student and the teacher. Giving students access to high-quality teaching is the best way to positively influence their education. Therefore, anything that jeopardises this – even well-intentioned support – can be problematic. The research also found that when teachers’ aides work more flexibly within the classroom, this is associated with higher levels of teacher engagement (Giangreco, Broer, & Edelman, 2001).

How close is too close?

Teachers’ aide proximity refers to how close the teacher’s aide is to the student. For example: • maintaining physical contact with the

student (holding hands, having thestudent sit on their lap)

• sitting very close to the student

• staying with the student throughout theschool day everywhere in the school.

If an adult kept this close to a student who did not have special education needs, people

would think it was a bit odd. So why is it okay for a student with special education needs to have this level of contact?

Keeping close to the student with special education needs is borne out of good intentions but can interfere with the relationships between the student and the teacher, make a student over-dependent on adults, get in the way of peer interactions and reduce a student’s personal control (Giangreco et al, 1997).

Staying in the classroom

Students who receive one-to-one support from a teacher’s aide are more likely to be separated from their classmates than other students. This happens when a student: • works with a teacher’s aide at the back of

the classroom

• is removed from the classroom becausethey are disrupting other students

• leaves the classroom for personal orphysical care

• receives a reward for positive behaviourfrom engaging in an independent taskseparate from their peers.



Again, these situations have good intentions but result in these students spending less time in the classroom and with their peers, which reduces the student’s access to their teachers, peers and, ultimately, learning.

Using natural supports

Natural supports are the everyday relationships and opportunities that exist in schools and communities that help people participate and be included. Everyone relies on natural supports. We may think of ourselves as ‘independent’ but actually we are interdependent – we rely on people and systems in our lives and communities. There is a growing emphasis on using natural supports and promoting interdependence for people with disabilities or special education needs.

Peers are an important natural support. Rather than aiming for a student to complete a task independently or with minimal adult support (from a teacher’s aide) why not aim for the student to complete the task by asking a peer for help? This presents a two-way learning opportunity where each student learns different things from the other.

Working together

Teachers have responsibility for the learning programme for all the students in their class, as well as the strategies and teaching approaches to use. The way a classroom environment is set up can support or provide a barrier for students to participate. Similarly the strategies used can enhance or inhibit student opportunities to participate in learning and to be successful. This means thinking about teaching and learning in new ways and accepting that practices that suit one student may not suit another.

It may be that specialists or specialist teachers are also involved in identifying specific strategies to support students or the whole class. Some schools use parent-teacher conferences, planned meetings or Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings as opportunities for students and their families/whānau to share their preferences for support. These discussions enable teachers to use teaching strategies that explicitly reflect family/whānau preferences.

Teachers have responsibility for discussing plans and modelling strategies with their teachers’ aides. Regular feedback and meetings are beneficial to compare knowledge about student preferences.

Next step



Choose one or two activities to do in pairs or small groups. Go to the back of the workbook for each activity’s instructions, worksheets and resources.

Activity 1

Using natural supports

In this activity, reflect on how natural supports are used in your classroom and how they could be used more.

This activity works best when it is done by teachers and teachers’ aides who regularly work together.

Go to the back of this workbook for instructions and a worksheet to follow.

Activity 2

Strategies for inclusive classrooms

Read a number of practical strategies teachers’ aides can use when working in classrooms. Talk about the strategies you already use, or could use more often, and ones you could start using.


Go to the back of this workbook for instructions and the activity sheets.

Activity 3

What students say about teachers’ aides

In this activity, read quotes from students about teachers’ aides. Discuss the impact teachers’ aides have on their students and how this relates to your students.

Go to the back of this workbook for instructions and the quotes from students.

Activity 4

Classroom seating plan

Look at a number of classroom seating plans and the positions of students with special education needs and teachers’ aides. Talk about your experience of effective seating plans and consider the evidence about teachers’ aide proximity.

Go to the back of this workbook for instructions and sample seating plans.



Activity 5

Teachers’ aide proximity

Read an article summarising literature about teachers’ aide proximity. Discuss how teachers and teachers’ aides in your school make decisions about and manage how closely teachers’ aides work with students with special education needs.

Go to the back of this workbook for instructions

Next step



It’s time to plan how you will put your learning into practice. Try one of these suggestions in your work together over the next few weeks.

• Talk with senior management aboutsurveying students to find out how theythink teachers’ aides should supportstudents. Collate and analyse whatstudents say. What themes do younotice? Discuss how you could workdifferently in the classroom, based on thestudents’ ideas.

• In Activities 1 and 2 you discussed anumber of strategies for supportingstudents in the classroom andencouraging independence. Select onestrategy to try in your class. Decide whatthe teacher’s and teacher’s aide roles willbe. Try the strategy over a couple ofweeks.

• If you identified teachers’ aide proximityor where a teacher’s aide sits in theclassroom, as something that could beimproved, make a plan for change. Thespecial education needs coordinator(SENCo) in your school may be able tohelp you plan and implement this.

Next step



Implement the strategy you decided on in Step 4. Use the space below to make notes about what you did and how it went.

Next step



Meet to talk about how the strategy from Step 4 went. Discuss and plan how you might adapt or modify your practice. Use the questions below to guide your reflection.

• What did we try?

• What happened when we did this?

• How might we change our practice nexttime?

• What have we learned about howteachers’ aides support can enhanceinclusive practice?

• To what extent are we enhancinginclusion in the classroom?

• What are we going to do next toencourage all of our students tocontribute and participate?



Using natural supports In this activity, reflect on how natural supports are used in your classroom and how they could be used more.

This activity works best when it is done by teachers and teachers’ aides who work together regularly.

Work in pairs or a small group and refer to the worksheet over about using natural supports. In the left column are five ways to enhance a student’s independence by using naturally-occurring supports.

Think about students you both work with. Discuss each natural support and identify ways you can work together in the classroom to encourage students to become less dependent on teachers’ aide support and more independent in everyday activities.

Write your ideas in the right column.




Using natural supports (continued)


Strategies for inclusive classrooms Read a number of practical strategies teachers’ aides can use when working in classrooms. Talk about the strategies you already use, or could use more often, and ones you could start using


Working individually to begin with, read the handout describing 20 different strategies teachers’ aides can use when working in a classroom. This is a comprehensive list of practical ideas that can help lots of students in the class. As you read, identify the strategies you use.

Work in pairs or small groups to talk about the strategies. Discuss any you are unsure about.

Talk about the strategies you use and ones that you could use more often. Identify one strategy you could start using.

Use the classroom strategies planning tool to record a strategy you will: • keep using

• use more often

• start using.




Strategies for inclusive classrooms (continued)


What students say about teachers’ aides In this activity, read quotes from students about teachers’ aides. Discuss the impact teachers’ aides have on their students and how this relates to your students.

Working individually to begin with, read the student quotes. These are things students have said about teachers’ aide support in their classrooms.

Work in pairs, small groups or a large group to talk about the quotes.

Discuss these questions:

• What is your reaction to these quotes?

• What impact is teachers’ aide support having for these students?

• How is support from a teacher’s aide affecting the students’ participation, self-esteem and sense of belonging?

• If you have talked with your students about teachers’ aide support in the past,compare their views with the quotes on the handout.

• If you asked students in your class what they thought about having teachers’aide support, what do you think they would say?




What students say about teachers’ aides (continued)


Teachers’ aide proximity Read an article summarising literature about teachers’ aide proximity. Discuss how teachers and teachers’ aides in your school make decisions about and manage how closely teachers’ aides work with students with special education needs.

Read the article Impact of Proximity of Teachers’ Aides and Support Strategies: Advantages and Disadvantages, written by Helen Stevens and published in Kairaranga. The article summarises literature about the impact of teachers’ aide proximity. ‘Teachers’ aide proximity’ relates to how closely and intensively a teacher’s aide works with an identified student.

Highlight any information that is new or interesting.

To download the edition of Kairaranga that has this article go to: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/fms/Colleges/College%20of%20Education/ Documents/C&P/Kairaranga/Volume%2011_Issue%201_2010.pdf The whole journal will be downloaded. Go to pages 40-44 for the article. Kairaranga is a journal supported by Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) and Massey University. It has articles about New Zealand schools and teaching issues.

Working in pairs, small groups or a large group, talk about any information you highlighted and discuss these questions: • The research suggests that teachers’ aides working in close proximity to

students with special education needs can get in the way of the studentparticipating in the classroom and interacting with their peers. In what ways doesthe article highlight how teachers’ aide support does this?

• Re-read the definitions on page 41 of teachers’ aide ‘types’:o teacher’s aide as a ‘stand-in for the student’o teacher’s aide as ‘a help-teacher’o teacher’s aide as a ‘back-up resource’.

Think about how teachers’ aides work in your school or classroom. Which of these three types is more common?

• How does the article affirm the way teachers’ aides work in your school and howdoes it challenge practices within your school?

If you have questions or suggestions about teachers’ aide proximity, talk to others in your school about this activity, eg, a member of senior management.





Classroom seating plans Look at a number of classroom seating plans and the positions of students with special education needs and teachers’ aides. Talk about your experience of effective seating plans and consider the evidence about teachers’ aide proximity.

Working in pairs or small groups, look at the sample seating plans (over the page) that show a range of classrooms.

Discuss where the students with special education needs and the teacher’s aide are positioned in relation to the teacher and the rest of the students.

How do these seating plans relate to your experience of classroom seating and effective arrangements for including students with special education needs?

Use the blank seating plans (over the page) to show how the teacher, students and teacher’s aide could be positioned for maximum inclusion. Label your plan.

Turn over to look at what research has shown is best practice in relation to positioning students with special education needs and teachers’ aides in inclusive classrooms.




Classroom seating plans (continued)