I can vividly, recall two activities that have contributed to creating, an inclusive ethos. My first experience happened when we invited a Resource Personnel to our school for a seminar.. The individual was not known to us but was highly recommended . On the day of the seminar the vehicle arrived  and we went outside to greet our speaker. To our surprise the individual was in a wheelchair and we had no ramps. It was one of the most awkward situation for us  though it was not an issue for our speaker who was probably accustomed to this happening. We apologize but made sure that it never happened again by having ramps constructed in designated areas.

Another, activity was after recently completing  the Inclusive Teaching  and Learning course, the staff at my school met and with the approval of the School Board adjusted the School's Mission and Vision Statements to reflect inclusion for example a line stated that " where students can learn in a safe, secure and inclusive environment "

My experience was a few years ago when I was teaching in high school. When form one students reported and one of the students was on a wheelchair. This being the first of such student everyone in the school from the principal had to adjust and change attitude in order to accommodate the boy with special need. Facilities had to be modified to accommodate the student. His classmates were very kind and always ensured that he felt included in the classroom and school. This boy completed his studies and performed better than some of the normal students. 

My second experience is in a TVET institution where I am the chair of Board of Governors. We have a policy as required by the government to ensure that the institution becomes inclusive and we are looking for resources to ensure physical structures and environment conform to the policy. Already we have trained young women with special needs.

In Belize, policies as recent as 2012 (which is the latest policy book for teachers) ensured that all students are to be accepted in schools regardless of their religious, economic, or ability background. This is helpful because students with disabilities tend not to be accepted in school. Second, the Ministry of Education has mandated that all Standard 1 students take an assessment in the beginning of the school year so that students who are falling behind can be provided with additional assistance. 

However, the secondary school were all designed to accommodate remodeling or added features to accommodate the differently abled child. 

This now is very problematic as if the students are discriminated and not allowed proper primary school education, how then can they be equip to enter the higher level of secondary school.    

School ethos can be defined as those values and beliefs which the school officially supports. On the other hand, according to Fullan (2007) school culture can be defined as the guiding beliefs and values evident in the way a school operates. 'School culture' can be used to encompass all the attitudes, expected behaviors and values that impact how the school operates.

One factor that is particularly effective in contributing to an inclusive ethos and culture is collective awareness of inclusion and action. Through collective awareness and action, culture can be used positively in order to enhance student learning and achievement, whether through small actions such as celebrating both student and teacher achievements in public assemblies, or to more large-scale projects such as developing democratic processes for teachers, students and other stakeholders. Relationships and interactions are characterized by openness, trust, respect, and appreciation.

Another factor that can contribute to an effective ethos and culture is teacher professional development. This is very important as it helps teachers to develop a positive attitude and by extension, contribute to an overall positive school culture. This in turn will promote effective pupil participation.

In conclusion, a school that promotes an inclusive and caring ethos is one where everyone is valued and made to feel welcome. There must be a very strong emphasis on celebrating differences and diversity through the curriculum. Teachers and support staff must also promote the respect of each individual associated with the school environment.

Also, I am not sure if the question was worded differently in the activity sheet, but I would like to mention that two factors that are effective in contributing to an inclusive ethos and culture are:

1. To be aware of the specific needs of every child, especially those with special needs. Teachers can receive training on teaching children with different needs and learning styles. This way teachers will have a more positive attitude and patience when teaching children with and without disabilities.

2. Teachers can celebrate student diversity by using diverse examples in lessons and use inclusive language. For example, referring to something or a group as ‘typical’ sounds more inclusive than using the word ‘normal’. Using the word ‘normal’ as a comparison may stigmatize others who are different and imply they are ‘abnormal’. By using inclusive language, they convey respect to all without sounding prejudiced towards a group of people. I found some very good examples to share of affirmative phrases which contrast the negative phrases to avoid when we speak inclusively. (Seiter, 2018) 

Working together as a school community is important. Coming together to celebrate the students' achievements in an assembly is crucial to our students, and recognizing those special children for their efforts despite their challenges they live with is a living example for the other able students.

What our schools does is that we also invite parents for that special awards assembly. parents and students celebrate their achievements together!

We also have a non-zero policy for our first years students of high school. we encourage them to first get adapted , feel included first and then adapt to high school life.

Before we return back to begin each new Academic Year we are provided with Professional Development Workshops and Retreats. In my first year of teaching during this Orientation I was able to garner a lot of use information and listen to many co-workers who had a wealth of experience to share.

Furthermore I have been able over the years to complete a Diploma in Educational Pedagogy. This contributed greatly to my view and philosophy of what Education is. I believe these two experiences helped and continue to mold me into the Teacher I am today. 

Presently, there is more to be established within some schools as it relates to creating an inclusive ethos and culture. Despite not having examples of experiences, there is a special education unit where special education officers attend to students with special needs.  However, there is room for improvement with regards to teacher awareness and development as well as the sensitization of the student population. 

Additionally, laws and polices must be implemented to end discrimination and encourage equal rights for ALL students. One such policy should be geared towards infrastructure which is critically needed.

The first was in the form of a Sports and Family Day that encouraged all stakeholders, learners etc to fellowship.

The second example took the form of an open day workshop where all students were involved in career day. 

To establish an ethos that works, teamwork lies at the core: the entire community working together and recognizing the role they each play and the strengths they bring. There is no place for hierarchy or ego – everyone involved must have their voice heard, everyone must be nurtured. 

Also, From observing centers within my cluster, the physical infrastructure caters for children with disabilities by providing ramps, toilets that are accommodating and a safe environment for all. This will contribute to inclusive ethos within the school environment.

One example activity that I observed that created inclusive ethos was the allowance of children with special needs in the classroom. Student were allowed to be apart of classes with there peers.

Another activity that I observed was the utilization of aids within the classroom setting. Aids assist students to breakdown barriers as it relates to learning.

Example 2: Schools in our education system in Trinidad and Tobago makes it possible to accept students with special needs and disability in the system and not excluding these unique children by categorizing them into a different school environment for only special needs students.

Although the school does not have a special education teacher , a teacher is chosen to help those students who are struggling . A trained teacher comes in to assist and this boosts the confidence of those who struggle in the classroom.

We had another student that attended our institution some time ago with a visual impairment, so it was difficult for him to take part in exams or even simple reading exercises.

Eventually the administration and teachers of the school came together to sponsor special texts and exam scripts for him so he would be able to take part in his course work as normal as the rest of his peers.

Prior to working with Student Support Services, I had my private learning centre. My school comprised both local and foreign students. I remember for one of activities, we created passports for each child and a school immigration stamp. Each week, we took a trip to a different country at school and at home and each child was asked to bring back an artefact/souvenir to share at Show & Tell, that was representative of the culture of the specific country. We would post up various aspects of the culture, dress, food, musical instruments and so on. This was to give the children and their parents an appreciation for diversity.

We also had a cultural day each month, for which one family would be responsible. 

One of our policies was no child would be left behind and was built on the global view. We had an inclusive school and all were treated equally and exposed to all activities. There were children on the autistic spectrum, one with petit-mal epilepsy, hearing and vision impairment, speech and language challenges and down syndrome. Where it was possible, parents would volunteer to come in to assist at various times during the day for purposes of supervision. Most of the children gravitated towards each other to play, while others were either afraid or unable to socialize with their peers.

This also applied to the students with visual impairment.  The spirit of everyone coming out to assist created an inclusive ethos.

The first experience I would like to share, involves a three-year-old, who entered our school diagnosed with cataracts, asthma and atrial septal defect. Due to the cataracts, she experienced a degree of visual impairment. As such teachers would ensure that signs, words/ lettering, and pictures being used or displayed were of large print. She was closely monitored during physical activities which were broken up throughout the day.

The second experience, involved a four-year-old, whose first language was not English. While she was able to understand some spoken English, she was unable to express herself. Here, her teacher, researched and learnt some phrases in her native language. During transition times, rather than, moving individually from one activity to the next, children were paired. This ensured that she could be guided by one of her peers until she was able to and comfortable navigating transitions on her own.

A teacher's attitude is one factor which effectively contributes to an inclusive ethos and culture in a school. The teacher who can show kindness from the moment of arrival; parents, families, caregivers and children are greeted using their names and are warmly welcomed into the school. Teachers who can show care by being sensitive to families diversity and valuing each child's individual uniqueness.

Another factor which contributes to an inclusive ethos is respectful relationships between teacher and parents / families; teacher and child. Parents know their child best, and when teachers have regular conversations with them, the teacher gain valuable insights of who the child is and can plan activities to further the child's learning and development.

Two examples from my experience of an activity that contributed to create an exclusive ethos was a case of a blind student who was given course materials in print. this visually impaired student could not use the materials but the University provided an audio version of the material as the student preferred it to braille.

The second experience was a deaf and dumb student who could not benefit from the face to face facilitation as he could not hear or contribute to the discussion. A specialist was brought in to communicate with him in sign language and was also peered with some of colleagues

At my workplace, we register students with physical challenges to attend our school and have done so for many years. The school when it was built catered to this need and was fitted with an elevator. Unfortunately, the elevator stopped functioning and has become too costly to repair. So to accommodate to these students, an administrative decision was taken to always place the classes of students with physical challenges on the ground floor of the school building regardless of the class/grade level. Usually the lower classes/grades were placed on the lower floors of the building. Additionally, with the help of the parent body, adjustable tables were made to accommodate wheel chaired students. These tables are utilized throughout the child's stay with us and are then passed on to other students with similar challenges. Schools in our community usually refer students with physical challenges to our school because accommodations are made to address their needs. 

For me personally one of our school's policies is to have additional support for students. We invite their parents and have meetings with subject teachers, the parents and a psychologist before students with disabilities enter the school. This helps students to be sensitized to their needs and helps them to understand how to support their peer. We also have the inclusion of ethic and Religious Knowledge as well as HFLE which helps to teach children about appreciating diversity