DANIEL: I think for me, what inclusive teaching would look like, is a situation where children, once they arrive into the school system, are taken as individuals and not as groups. So that we don't have teachers doing ability grouping
rather than individualising teaching according to the needs of each child.
I would also like to see a situation where there is evidence of adequate preparation for each topic for each child. I would also like to see a situation where materials are not made for groups. We have got materials made for individual
students according to their ability levels, according to their needs, as they come into the school system. So that when you are doing activities at the classroom level, you have got materials adapted or made according to the level
of each child.
I would also like to see a situation where evaluation of children is done according to objectives that were set for individual children. That is the kind of inclusion I would like to see. Rather than having an evaluation of children
that is based on a norm. It should be criterion-based assessment that this child [INAUDIBLE], these are their levels. Academics, these are their levels when it comes to behaviour needs, these are the levels according to maybe any
other criteria. And this is what we expect them to achieve at the end of the term. So evaluation should be learner-based rather than group-based.
When it comes to content, I expect teachers to be able to adapt content. That is the kind of inclusive classroom setup that I would like to see. Above all, I would like to see a teacher prepared or rather trained, to be able to welcome
everybody into their classrooms. A teacher who should be able to welcome a child regardless of their [AUDIO OUT] into that classroom. That one is supreme, because then it sets the classroom climate for children to be able to be
comfortable.
Listen to Daniel explaining his vision for inclusive teaching. In your study notebook, summarise the key points that he makes.
From a student’s perspective, Daniel’s vision is inspiring. Imagine what it would be like to be treated in this way! For a classroom teacher, however, Daniel’s vision is daunting! However, don’t be discouraged. The message from this course
is that attaining the vision takes time. In Week 2 you will be introduced to the idea of a continuum – a continuous line between the current situation and a vision such as the one set out by Daniel. The idea is that through small changes
in practice it is possible to gradually move along the continuum, and over time make a considerable difference to many students. You will return to this vision in Week 4.
