8 minute read
Inclusive classrooms make incredible schools
By Heather Barker Vermeer
Industry Reporter Schools are legally required to be inclusive under the Education and Training Act 2020, which is reinforced by the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
Inclusive education fosters a culture of respect and belonging, accepts individual diff erences, and allows individual to work towards their own goals and pathways while being a valued part of a learning community. Schools and their environments, systems and processes need to adapt so they have adequate support for all learners, including learners with diverse or more complex leaning needs. No student should
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feel their capacity to learn is limited by the need to fi t in. The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa require all students’ identities, languages, cultures, abilities, and talents to be valued and recognised. By its very nature, it is an inclusive programme designed to create an educational environment in which all students are able to thrive.
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How schools represent, respond to, and recognise diff erence can have lifelong impacts on individuals. Enabling students of all abilities to be present, enjoy learning and achieve their potential is essential to provide an equitable environment for teaching and learning within the school sett ing. It requires careful, considered thought and ongoing action. While students on the Autism Spectrum require individually tailored support, teachers can use eff ective strategies to provide a rich learning environment by creating safe spaces in the classroom, for example, where students can take a break from social interaction, decompress, and process information in their own time.
Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADHD, once professionally diagnosed, require collaborative input from staff and student, and ideally, whānau. When a student presents with a learning diffi culty, the pathways taken by teachers can mean the diff erence between years of success and years of struggle, so providing staff with the right resources and insight is critical. Keen observation in a classroom sett ing can lead to a helpful diagnosis that sets students up with the support they need to learn. For instance, the Ministry of Education outlines early identifi cation and practical support as central to a successful dyslexia programme in schools. As such, ensuring teaching staff and aides know how best to provide practical support, suitable tasks and activities, is key and PLD is widely provided across the motu by public and charity organisations, as well as private providers. Producing confi dent, empowered learners and teaching staff requires a holistic, schoolwide approach and a shift in att itudes of old.
Being non-prescriptive, the NZ Curriculum allows for a fl exible learning approach and schools/kura have a mandate to develop their curriculum in a personalised way which responds to the needs of all their learners.
Image courtesy of Sensory Corner
Industry Insights: Inclusive Classroom Tools and Design
Sensory Sam’s Allanah Bazzard informed School News: “There are huge benefi ts to teaching and learning collaboration involving multi cell classroom ‘open workspaces’ for student and teachers alike, but neurodiverse children should also have private safe spaces they feel they can withdraw to when the external stimuli of an active and social classroom proves too much. “As a parent to a child on the Autism spectrum, part of the strategies I’d recommend teaching students with neurodiversities is to recognise the need for fl exibility and adaptability to ‘the rules’ and understand the diff erence between defi ant behaviour and the neurodiverse child’s inability to cope, manifesting in antisocial moods or meltdowns.
“Many neurodiverse children fi nd it exhausting having to try their best to interpret non-verbal communication, and oft en ‘mask’ to fi t into the classroom dynamic. “It’s no wonder they are prone to meltdowns and seek the calm and solace of a quiet sensory corner. “By implementing small sensory corners in classrooms, overwhelmed or over stimulated learners can retreat for a few minutes or more into a sensory black out tent with a pair of shh muff s, fi dgets, or other sensory tools, before re-emerging to engage in classroom activities. “A combination of tactile, audial, and visual sensory resources are ideal and these can also help encourage fi ne motor skills and encourage vestibular and proprioceptive input, improving balance, coordination and self-regulation. “SENCO support staff oft en utilise weighted lap or shoulder coverings to give deep touch pressure that reduces cortisol in the body and creates a sense of calm. Wobble cushions and silent fi dget toys are also popular, allowing children to quietly stim without creating disruption to other students or teachers.”
Speaking with us from Sensory Corner, Rachel Cheung said: “I think teachers and schools have become much more aware of sensory issues in the classroom and this awareness has enabled teachers to identify the kinds of sensory support students might need at school. “Unfortunately, sensory issues are not acknowledged in public funding like other health and disability issues, so that can make it diffi cult for schools and students to access support. “We have seen an increase in the use of fi dgets, earmuff s, and weighted equipment in schools, which indicates that teachers are much more aware of the sensory needs of their students, and that it is a huge and increasing need in all schools. “Sensory issues can be quite complex, especially in classrooms and schools where there are potentially multiple students together with a range of sensory needs, and sometimes competing needs.
An example might occur where a student needs absolute quiet, but another makes noise to self-soothe. My only real advice to teachers is to access support where applicable, possibly through an occupational therapist or a professional who is able to give advice on sensory and behaviour. “Teasing out sensory and behavioural issues can be a real challenge, but an outside perspective can be invaluable. It is sometimes diffi cult to see the causes of behaviour and sensory responses when you are in the situation. “Assessment through observation, or even formal assessments will help everyone working with the student, greater understanding and clarity about the interventions required to support. “Sometimes, the only real way to know whether something will work, is to give some things a try. Safety is obviously the most important thing to consider when introducing sensory approaches in a school sett ing, so seeking advice, and discussing within the school about appropriate equipment or techniques is crucial.” Maree Whitworth from Solutions NZ off ered some advice to teachers: “If you have a student with diff erent needs in your class, learn about how they learn, what they need to be able to cope in a classroom sett ing. “First, if possible, ask the student what helps them to learn. Is it a timer on the wall that can help them to pre-empt when a task is fi nishing and how long it might take? How about a visual schedule so there are fewer surprises as the student knows what to expect and what is happening? Is there an area that your student can go to take a break? People who have sensory challenges are not able to concentrate as eff ectively in noisy or bright sett ings for lengthy periods of time.
“As the teacher, you can also encourage students to support each other by buddying up or ‘body doubling’ for particular in-class tasks.”
“In terms of school purchasing trends related to inclusive classroom items: “Timers are very popular across primary and secondary as they not only help students with learning diff erences to stay on task, but they help all students in the same way, knowing that there is an end to each task.
“Sensory toys, such as squeeze balls and fi dgets are also extremely benefi cial as they improve learning by allowing the brain to fi lter out extra sensory information.
“Oft en, the sensory/tactile input and repetitive movement is required to help individuals self-regulate and focus.”
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Create your classroom SENSORY SPACE
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-ADHD -Autism Spectrum -Sensory Processing -C Cerebral Palsy -other Neuro-Diversities
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