UNIT 7: Task #1
UNIT 7: Special Needs and Inclusive Education
Task #1
Think back to when you were a learner at school. Did any of your classmates have a disability or a Special Educational Need, such as those described above?
Reflect on the following questions and share your responses in your WhatsApp group:
- What was the attitude of your teachers towards learners who had special educational needs, or who had learning challenges, for whatever reason?
For example, maybe a learner could not do their homework because they did not understand how to do it, and nobody at home could help them. How did your teacher react to that learner?
Did the teacher punish the learner, or find ways to help them to do their homework?
Or, maybe a learner used to come to school late often because they couldn’t follow the school schedule or expectations. How did the teacher react to this learner?
- Were there times when you felt a teacher treated you unfairly because you could not do your school work and needed additional help with the task?
- What effect did the teacher’s attitude have on you? Did you feel unhappy, or did you accept it and carry on?
- How does thinking about questions 1 to 3 influence how you want to be as a teacher now?
As you develop your skills, as a teacher, to support learners with SEN, it is important to remember that the way we talk about our different learners matters. It shows our attitudes towards them and our values.
All learners are unique - no learner is the same as the next learner – and the language we use in the classroom shows how inclusive we are, and how we feel towards learners with different needs. It is important to use positive language so that everybody feels welcome and included in the learning we provide in our classrooms.