On Observation Week

Hi Rob.

I sure did get significantly jerked in the direction of 'against' on the spectrum of inclusion over observation week! Let me tell you about it.

Brent and Julia would so often say that Eastview was the most middle-school-school of all the 'middle schools' in Red Deer. I was very excited to find myself there for my inaugural practicum experience. Our team of Cory, Rickee and I observed a diversity of students in a diversity of classes within our first couple of days. We saw well behaved kids, quiet kids, noisy kids, invasive-of-other-peoples'-bubbles kids, kids in wheelchairs, kids with ADHD and kids who we knew were on some sort of behaviour-changing medication; it was inclusive education at work!        er, wasn't it?

Maybe not. After a couple of times hearing mutterings on the inevitable coming of inclusive education by our host of mentors, we opted to dig a little deeper. To learn more, we visited the 'Horizons' 8th grade math class.  My goodness! 25 students who excitedly sank their teeth into fraction multiplication tore it apart, practically salivating for more fraction operations. The meatier, the more difficult, the better. They did in 20 minutes what the 'regular' 8th grade math class would plow through in a week. No, I'm not (exaggerating).

Wouldn't all those students get bored in the mainstream classes?

Next, we visited the Learning Assistance Center (LAC), a quiet room upstairs where students can get a little space, quiet time, technological assistance, or one on one help from one of the facilitators. Usually a very busy nook, we arrived to a vacant LAC. This was fortunate as we were able to sit and talk with the staff in the LAC for the better part of an hour.

It wasn't especially uplifting. They were concerned about a disconnect with the rest of the teaching staff regarding the purpose of the LAC. They had seen a lot of behavioural issues sent their way. They aren't there for that. A lot of students would show up at the door, and when they were asked what they needed help with they had no answer. There is a system in place which uses a yellow form which the teacher fills out questions such as "what does the student need help with?" but the answer could often be scant: math, reading, homework. Not a great start for the facility which is supposed to be next year's brace for the big inclusion movement!

We asked them why the government has taken this turn toward inclusion. Isn't the system doing the best it can right now? It seems to be working; not perfectly, but pretty well...?
They offered a lot of loose suggestions: it's cheaper to have 15 students spread out among the classrooms(which already have teachers) rather than have them all in one room with 2 staff. They'll learn better in a regular classroom. There are models of good behaviour and good social skills in the classroom.
They told us that this was reminiscent of 30 years ago and that in their opinion it hadn't really worked that time either. They were skeptical of this inclusion movement, but grinning and bracing for it all the same.

That was a humbling yet calming conversation we had with those LAC staff. It did strengthen the notion that we are just trying to do what is best for the students, but that school staff each have concerns about the blanketing protocols that are about to set in.

We were less concerned about the quick-thinking 'Horizons' group after we spent an hour in the 'Strategies' classroom. Here we saw 6 students work with one teacher on their 7th grade math. They were working with clock terminology - specifically 'quarter to,' 'quarter past,' and 'half past.' They had began this topic the day before, and the students never had a handle on it by the time their class was over. Clock terminology was simply beyond their ability at this point.

What will happen when we put students from the main stream, Horizons and Strategies in one inclusive classroom? Find out next year!

My next blog will be about the positives I see in this concept of inclusion, and they do exist, but I can clearly see some reasons why teachers at Eastview are a little apprehensive about what they will face next year in their classrooms.