Inclusive Classroom Practices | Report

Running head: INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM PRACTICES
INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM PRACTICES
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Need for mainstream inclusion in Australia...........................................................................2
Case study analysis.................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References:.................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Teaching is considered to be a noble profession all over the world. Mainstream
classroom can also be called a general educational classroom. In pedagogical terms,
mainstreaming means putting a child with special educational needs to the general
educational classroom for most of the day, so that he/ she may acquire the coping capabilities
that all the ordinary or mainstream students possess (Mulholland & O'Connor, 2016). In a
mainstream classroom, the child might receive some differentiated instructions to be followed
while learning. To be very precise, the purpose of sending children with special education
requirement to the mainstream classes is to help children with disabilities adjust with the non
disabled peers in order to help them adapt to the demand for a regular education class
(Lindsay et al., 2014). The respective paper is a report on pedagogy that involves how
teachers and mentors can involve children with special educational needs to the mainstream
educational classes with the purpose of helping children with disabilities adjust with the non
disabled peers in order to help them adapt to the demand for a regular education class. The
report has teaching interventions and strategies in the form of templates that are presented
thereafter.
Discussion
Need for mainstream inclusion in Australia
According to Australia’s disability discrimination act (1992) and Standards for Education
(2005) statutes presented by the Australian society, the australian schools have taken major
interest in focusing on the rights of students with disability to access education “on the same
basis” as students without disability and with “reasonable accomodation and adjustments”
(Cumming & Dickson, 2013). Australian educationists and policy makers are making it a
point that all the differently able children get the environment that every “normal” child

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without disability gets so that they do not start to feel ostracized or “otherise” themselves on
any grounds. International agreements from all around the world have confirmed that there is
a right of students with disabilities to be educated in the mainstream schools and Australian
legislation regarding education supports that choice to a greater extent. All the schools under
the Australian jurisdiction come under the principles and ideals of a perfect mainstream
inclusive classroom practices. The western society has been changing its ideals lately, where
they are incorporating diversity, acknowledging and celebrating diversity in population, being
careful about what is considered to be special or different and attempting to include all
citizens into services provided in the world. The Australian nation believes that she should
not discriminate against any of her children in terms of ability and capability, rather, she
should make rooms for every child to showcase and platformize his/ her ability,
notwithstanding any form of discrimination based on their physical or mental disability on
any grounds (Gillies, 2013). In different areas of Australia, that include “Learning support
plans” in New South Wales, “Negotiated Education Plans” in South Australia and “Individual
Education Plans” in Tasmania are certain documented plans that are used for the purpose of
learning, transition, behavior and other factor for the differently able children in order to
make them enter and thrive in the mainstream educational programs in classroom
environment (O'Connell, 2016).
Case study analysis
Given the case study of the Year 2/3, personal and educational profiles of the students who
are normal and differently able are also given. By looking at the case study, it can be
understood that the classroom is diverse as it has boys and girls from different ethnicities,
such as Chinese, Caucasians and Aboriginal Australians. The classroom environment is
inclusive and diverse in nature with teachers being flexible, adjustable and open minded in
their approach. They have a proper and unbaised approach towards education and seeks to

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provide the best education to the students despite of their ethnic and economic differences.
The classroom environment is very prolific and engaging. The classroom environment is
always very friendly to all the children and it seems as if the teachers are always ready to help
the children whenever they get time and opportunity to do so. According to the case study
provided, certain students who seem to have learning issues are provided hereafter.
1. Joshua: A five year old boy who is Aboriginal Australian who has limited basic
literacy and numeral skills but is an avid listener of music, especially aboriginal
music. He seems to be a family person who has good time with his parents in hunting
and doing recreational activities. The family from where Joshua belongs to is close
knitted and caring with each other. However, the setting where Joshua stays is
completely rural and away from the zone of city.
2. James: James is an aboriginal child of age six years who seem to be disinterested in
school. He is good at sports, however, he also seems to be very disinterested and
distracted in studies, sometimes, they can also distract others in the class which can
pose a problem not just in his learning process but other’s learning process as well.
The environment where James belongs seem to be less prolific because his parents are
not that educated and are subsequently unemployed/ underemployed.
3. Matt: Matt is a six year old Caucasian Australian who seem to be a good sportsman
but has less interest in studies and is a reluctant reader. Matt belongs to a prolific
family because his mother is a teacher and can help him cope with the learning and
reading reluctance/ disabilities that he faces more often than not.
4. Haylay: Hayley is an aboriginal Australian who has a keen interest in the natural
world, however, she seems to be remaining quiet in the class. She is unable to read
and write and seems to be very quiet and withdrawn. The aboriginal family where she
belongs to is traditional and well knit. She lives in a rural setting so has less scope to

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develop herself in spite of the learning disabilities she has. Her english skills are to be
seen very low.
5. Ryan: Ryan is an aboriginal australian child who is seven years old. He is good at
sports, however, he seems to be fearful to other children (maybe because he has
aggressive behavior). He is very poor in literacy and numerical skills and often finds
difficult to cope with the studies. As Ryan stays in a closely knit family, he has the
opportunity to get assistance to grow himself up and improve himself in the learning
disability areas he has.
6. Mason: Mason is a Caucasian Australian who is eight years old. He seems to be
having an unhealthy environment in his house as his parents are unemployed. He is
poor in reading and writing skills, he tends to be aggressive towards the teachers and
mentors at times and loves only to play video games. So, it seems as if he is deprived
in his family so he shows such deliquent behavior in the classroom environment. Such
behavior is both harmful for him and for the students associated with him.
7. Aaron: Aaron is an aboriginal australian child who is eight years old. She is a child
who misses her family most of the time, which means that she remains distracted
most of the time. She has very low basic reading, writing and calculating skills. It
means that she is reluctant towards work. She sometims reacts inappropriately in the
class that makes her quite aggressive and deliquent. She has few friends and refuses to
talk much with the peers and others in the school, which means that she is quite
withdrawn. The family of Aaron seems to be struggling as she has other siblings
along with a single sole breadwinner mother. It seems as if she doesnt recieve much
attention in her family in terms of getting her reading and writing skills correct
because her family might as well not give her the tim she needs.

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Conclusion
Every child is different and has different needs, aspirations and expectations. As a
teacher, I can conclude that to inculcate differently able children in the mainstream classroom
environment, small changes in the classroom settings and curriculum with positive and
flexible environment and attitude is the key for success.

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References:
Cumming, J. J., & Dickson, E. (2013). Educational accountability tests, social and legal
inclusion approaches to discrimination for students with disability: A national case
study from Australia. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 20(2),
221-239.
Derewianka, B. (2012). Knowledge about language in the Australian curriculum: English.
Lindsay, S., Proulx, M., Scott, H., & Thomson, N. (2014). Exploring teachers' strategies for
including children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream
classrooms. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(2), 101-122.
Lowe, K., & Yunkaporta, T. (2013). The inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
content in the Australian National Curriculum: A cultural, cognitive and socio-
political evaluation. Curriculum Perspectives, 33(1), 1-14.
Mulholland, M., & O'Connor, U. (2016). Collaborative classroom practice for inclusion:
perspectives of classroom teachers and learning support/resource
teachers. International journal of inclusive education, 20(10), 1070-1083.
O'Connell, K. (2016). Unequal brains: Disability discrimination laws and children with
challenging behaviour. Medical law review, 24(1), 76-98.
Gillies, R. M. (2013). Making reasonable adjustments: what can we do for students with
disabilities?.