This course has been a truly wonderful and educational experience. i have learned quite a lot about creating an inclusive school and there is indeed much that I can take away with me into my own practice. I learned that inclusive education is the responsibility of all stakeholders and that creating an inclusive school cannot happen overnight. It takes time, planning and a strong commitment by all involved. I also learned that 'ethos' and 'culture' will mean different things to different individuals based on their own context and therefore cannot be imposed from the outside. Rather, these two very important concepts will emerge from the structures within the organisation and by the actions and roles displayed by within that particular school environment.
Two things that I will definitely take forward into my practice are:
1. creating differentiated worksheets and adapting activities that would take into consideration the differently abled students so that they may never feel excluded from the learning process in any way.
2. to uphold the tenets of the TESSA IE Toolkit which I found very important. The tenets resonated with me since I take my role as a teacher very seriously. Some of the tenets that I will continue to use in my practice daily are:
a) respect the individuality of each child regardless of their differences.
b). be aware of the unique needs of pupils.
c). help ALL pupils to feel included in the learning community rather than excluded.
d). use appropriate words when talking about disabled children. For example, words like "retard" will be a definite NO. Rather, 'differently abled person' would be more appropriate.
I definitely learned that disability does not mean inability. This course has left me feeling very much empowered and has made me appreciate the power of my role a lot more and to humbly accept the difference that i can make in a child's life. Thank you very much for having me. It was an immense pleasure.