What do teachers need to think about as they start to plan for their inclusive classrooms? Listen to
a teacher talk about her feelings as she begins to consider her options. Do her feelings echo your own?
All children have individual abilities and challenges that deserve consideration when planning the classroom environment, curriculum, and instructional strategies. Teachers who are planning for all their children will need to make some adjustments to the learning setting, activities, and strategies on three levels—making adjustments in general (for the class as a whole), making further adjustments for some children requiring a second level of support, and making additional adjustments for just a few children who will need a further level of support. (These levels are similar to the three tiers proposed in the Response to Intervention model—for an introduction to RTI, watch
Response to Intervention: A Tiered Approach to Instructing All Students.)
In addition to the levels of support that teachers need to plan, it is important to provide multiple avenues of presentation, engagement, and expression—which reflect the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). (For an introduction to UDL, watch
UDL at a Glance.) Tweaking classroom plans to make the curriculum and environment more accessible will benefit every child in the classroom at some point.
Use the links below to access information that will help you as you weigh your planning options for all, some, and a few individual children.