The Future of Inclusion by Gabrielle

The Future of Inclusion by Gabrielle - June 2020 Scholarship Essay

The Future of Inclusion

By: Gabrielle Greenwald

As I look to my future, I see myself, standing in a classroom teaching. When you look around, you see the faces of little boys and girls ready and eager to learn. You see a classroom full of smiling faces. But that is not all you see. If you look closer, you would see students with all different abilities, learning in the same classroom. Children with behavioral challenges interacting with children with intellectual disabilities. You would see students who were hard of hearing or deaf teaching children with autism how to sign. In my future, I see a classroom full of kids, sharing their different strengths and abilities with each other. As a teacher, I want to see a change in the level of inclusion, and student on student connections grow as children with varying different abilities enter the doors of my classroom.
Throughout my schooling career, I have had the privilege of being in the classroom with students of all different abilities. The school district where I attend school, Stoughton Area School District, is known for its inclusive classrooms and learning environment. Growing up being around kids who were different than I did nothing but benefit me as a person. My good friend in 5th grade, Mike U, had autism. This young man was the brightest and most caring friend I had at the time. We both brought special things to our friendship that helped us understand one another. It made me see that not everyone is the same, that we all think differently. Mike sparked my love for seeking out relationships with people with different abilities. As I write this essay and look back at the years of school I have under my belt, I can't help but think how fulfilling my life is knowing the things I have learned from people who are different than me.
From my experience being in inclusive classroom environments since I was young, and seeing the impact that it has had on my friends, siblings, and myself, as a future teacher I hope to bring a whole new level of inclusivity to my classroom. There are areas in the United States that don't value inclusive classrooms as much as others, and it is those areas of the country that I hope to work. Inclusivity is beneficial for everyone involved in its process, especially students and children with young and developing minds. According to Dr. Thomas Hehir, Professor of Practice in Learning Differences at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he states that there is “clear and consistent evidence that inclusive educational settings can confer substantial short and long-term benefits for students with and without disabilities". There is proof that children benefit from being in classrooms and shared spaces with children with other abilities, and I feel it is my job to get that started in places that do not value that belief.
As a future teacher, I hope to not only see change, I hope to be the change I want to see. I will change the way that classrooms are conducted, and I will see to it that every child is included in a classroom with their peers, no matter the ability. I will work through the struggle and the backlash and negative comments that I will receive, but I will persist because I am the change. The future is inclusive, and I am here to make sure that we see that change in the classroom.