Disabilities in the Classroom

Just as there is no such thing as a “normal” person, there is no such thing as a “normal” classroom. Each student is an individual contributing to the character of their classroom. Today individual differences within a classroom are celebrated. It has taken over three decades, at least, to get to this point. According to the text, before the 1970s students with disabilities were kept separate from their non-disabled peers. What I am unsure of is what happened when students with disabilities reached adulthood prior to the 1970s. Did they continue to be kept away from “normal” society?
In today’s classrooms there is a great range of ability amongst students. I think it is important to remember that all students have strengths and weaknesses. Despite being classified as having an intellectual or learning disability, a student may excel in certain areas. The move towards empowerment and self-determination is important for all students. The junior high I attended had a special education section within it. It was the main school for children with special needs in Grande Prairie. I feel that this was an advantage to myself and my classmates because we were exposed to a variety of students on a fairly regular basis. However, since the students in special education were rarely involved in the general education classes, there was an obvious divide between those two areas of the school. There was, unfortunately, a certain amount of teasing and ostracism that I believe was partly a result of this division.Because students of varying abilities are present in today’s classrooms, it is vital for teachers to build a strong sense of community within their classroom. Hopefully this will lead to a better understanding and compassion in all students. Probably the most effective way of doing this would be through modeling. Students need to see that their teacher cares about each one of them as an individual and really wants them to succeed. Competition should be minimized, to be replaced with cooperation. Giving students opportunities to do group work would be a key method for encouraging a cooperative atmosphere within the classroom. At times the teacher would be required to divide the students into groups to ensure that each student has an opportunity to work with many other individuals so that they can grow through one another’s experience.