Education and Inclusion

Inclusion Support

Rachael Gemmill, Inclusion Support Coordinator/Early Childhood Teacher

 

Inclusion is seen as a universal human right. The aim of inclusion is to embrace all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other need. It is about giving equal access and opportunities and getting rid of discrimination and intolerance (removal of barriers).

 

I shared a story recently at a GEKA service team meeting about why I chose to specialise in inclusive education and I thought it would be nice to share this with the wider community.  Several years ago my sister called me in tears.  She had gone to pick my niece up from childcare and was told that they could no longer look after her because of her challenging behaviour but that they would give my sister 2 weeks to find other arrangements.  My niece was 3 years old and undergoing assessment for a disability.

It was from this moment on that I knew I didn’t want this to happen to another child or another family.  I was working as a casual teacher at GEKA at the time and spoke with the General Manager, Operations and Education Leadership, Melissa MacMaster, who immediately opened her heart and arms to my niece and her family. This was a life changing moment for this family who finally felt like they belonged.

Inclusion takes everyone.  It’s the educators, it’s management, it’s the culture of an organisation but it’s also the wider community.  It’s the families who attend our services and how you all support one another.  It’s talking to your children about how everyone is different and different is ok. It’s having empathy and showing kindness.

Again this year I would like to share a letter from a teacher to a parent about ‘that child’.  I think this letter really speaks to the untold story of the journey we go on with families and children who are part of our GEKA community.  Please know that if and when your child needs a little extra love and support we will be there for them. 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s learning and development. 

Dear Parent: About That Kid 

Author, Amy Murray

Dear Parent:
I know. You're worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting shoving pinching scratching maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a chair rather than the floor. The one who had to leave the block centre because blocks are not for throwing. The one who climbed over the playground fence right exactly as I was telling her to stop. The one who poured his neighbour's milk onto the floor in a fit of anger. On purpose. While I was watching. And then, when I asked him to clean it up, emptied the ENTIRE paper towel dispenser. On purpose. While I was watching. The one who dropped the REAL ACTUAL F-word in gym class.
You're worried that THAT child is detracting from your child's learning experience. You're worried that he takes up too much of my time and energy, and that your child won't get his fair share. You're worried that she is really going to hurt someone someday. You're worried that “someone" might be your child. You're worried that your child is going to start using aggression to get what she wants. You're worried your child is going to fall behind academically because I might not notice that he is struggling to hold a pencil. I know.
Your child, this year, in this classroom, at this age, is not THAT child. Your child is not perfect, but she generally follows rules. He is able to share toys peaceably. She does not throw furniture. He raises his hand to speak. She works when it is time to work, and plays when it is time to play. He can be trusted to go straight to the bathroom and straight back again with no shenanigans. She thinks that the S-word is “stupid" and the C-word is “crap." I know.
I know, and I am worried, too.
You see, I worry all the time. About ALL of them. I worry about your child's pencil grip, and another child's letter sounds, and that little tiny one's shyness, and that other one's chronically empty lunchbox. I worry that Gavin's coat is not warm enough, and that Talitha's dad yells at her for printing the letter B backwards. Most of my car rides and showers are consumed with the worrying.
But I know, you want to talk about THAT child. Because Talitha's backward Bs are not going to give your child a black eye. I want to talk about THAT child, too, but there are so many things I can't tell you. I can't tell you that she was adopted from an orphanage at 18 months. I can't tell you that he is on an elimination diet for possible food allergies, and that he is therefore hungry ALL. THE. TIME. I can't tell you that her parents are in the middle of a horrendous divorce, and she has been staying with her grandma. I can't tell you that I'm starting to worry that grandma drinks…I can't tell you that his asthma medication makes him agitated. I can't tell you that her mom is a single parent, and so she (the child) is at school from the moment before-care opens, until the moment after-care closes, and then the drive between home and school takes 40 minutes, and so she (the child) is getting less sleep than most adults. I can't tell you that he has been a witness to domestic violence.
That's okay, you say. You understand I can't share personal or family information. You just want to know what I am DOING about That Child's behaviour. 
I would love to tell you. But I can't. I can't tell you that she receives speech-language services, that an assessment showed a severe language delay, and that the therapist feels the aggression is linked to frustration about being unable to communicate. I can't tell you that I meet with his parents EVERY week, and that both of them usually cry at those meetings. I can't tell you that the child and I have a secret hand signal to tell me when she needs to sit by herself for a while. I can't tell you that he spends rest time curled in my lap because “it makes me feel better to hear your heart, Teacher." I can't tell you that I have been meticulously tracking her aggressive incidents for 3 months, and that she has dropped from 5 incidents a day, to 5 incidents a week. I can't tell you that the school secretary has agreed that I can send him to the office to “help" when I can tell he needs a change of scenery. I can't tell you that I have stood up in a staff meeting and, with tears in my eyes, BEGGED my colleagues to keep an extra close eye on her, to be kind to her even when they are frustrated that she just punched someone AGAIN, and this time, RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TEACHER.
The thing is, there are SO MANY THINGS I can't tell you about That Child. I can't even tell you the good stuff.
 
I can't tell you that his classroom job is to water the plants, and that he cried with heartbreak when one of the plants died over winter break. I can't tell you that she kisses her baby sister goodbye every morning, and whispers “You are my sunshine" before mom pushes the stroller away. I can't tell you that he knows more about thunderstorms than most meteorologists. I can't tell you that she often asks to help sharpen the pencils during playtime. I can't tell you that she strokes her best friend's hair at rest time. I can't tell you that when a classmate is crying, he rushes over with his favourite stuffy from the story corner.
 
The thing is, dear parent, that I can only talk to you about YOUR child. So, what I can tell you is this:
If ever, at any point, YOUR child, or any of your children, becomes THAT child…
I will not share your personal family business with other parents in the classroom.
I will communicate with you frequently, clearly, and kindly.
I will make sure there are tissues nearby at all our meetings, and if you let me, I will hold your hand when you cry.
I will advocate for your child and family to receive the highest quality of specialist services, and I will cooperate with those professionals to the fullest possible extent.
I will make sure your child gets extra love and affection when she needs it most.
I will be a voice for your child in our school community.
I will, no matter what happens, continue to look for, and to find, the good, amazing, special, and wonderful things about your child.
I will remind him and YOU of those good amazing special wonderful things, over and over again.
And when another parent comes to me, with concerns about YOUR child…
I will tell them all of this, all over again.
With so much love;
Teacher.

Planning for Capable and Competent Children

The National Quality Framework (NQF) views children as capable learners who actively construct their own understandings and contribute to others’ learning. The NQF recognises children’s agency, their capacity to initiate and lead learning, and their right to participate in decisions that affect them, including their learning (The Guide to the NQF, pg 10.)

 

Recognising and respecting children as active participants and capable decision makers enables educators to move beyond pre-conceived limitations about what children can achieve or are capable of doing. Great educators respect and encourage each child’s unique qualities, interests and abilities, and either plan for or recognise opportunities for child-directed learning. A simple strategy to do this is to invite children to be decision makers. This builds on the concepts of belonging, being and becoming.

 

Self-esteem contributes to the development of identity, and is critical to children’s capacity to understand their own strengths, abilities and interests. When children feel safe, secure and supported, they develop confidence to explore and learn (Early Years Learning Framework, p. 20; Framework for School Age Care, p. 19).

No doubt you are thinking about your aspirations for children in your service for the year ahead. Individually or as a team, some questions to consider include:

  • How are each child’s strengths, unique qualities and abilities identified and recorded?
  • How is this information used for each child?
  • With whom is this information shared and how does it contribute to the learning outcomes for children?
  • What strategies can be used to engage and capture the voice of non-verbal children and infants?
  • How will each child be encouraged to be part of and lead their own learning?

By viewing each child as capable and competent,  we will maximise the myriad of opportunities and possibilities that arise in the year ahead to support their agency, development, self esteem and confidence.  

Children's Development 

All children develop at different rates, and families often come to educators for reassurance that their child is on the right track.

StartingBlocks.gov.au has information available for families on children’s development. They include physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language cues families can observe.

You may like to share these resources with your families and communities: