In today's diverse classrooms, creating a space where every student feels valued and supported is crucial. This welcoming environment, built on understanding and empathy, benefits all students, fostering a strong foundation for academic success and personal growth. By implementing a multi-pronged approach that involves educators, students, and the wider school community, we can cultivate a truly inclusive school experience. This article summarizes Strategies for teachers and students that can help creating an inclusive environment at school.

Strategies for Educators

  • Emphasize the importance of positivity and uplifting language:
    Train staff to be supportive of children or staff with disabilities. If they are, students will be as well. Make sure there is zero tolerance for name-calling or using degrading language like “retarded” or “mental.”
  • Establish counseling services for students’ emotional and mental health:
    Investing in counseling services for at-risk students (not necessarily only those with learning difficulties) will send a clear message that the school truly wants to create a positive impact on the lives of its pupils.
  • Host learning difficulties awareness sessions:
    Get students, parents, and faculty involved in awareness sessions. During these events, you could invite specialists in the field to educate participants on the relevant signs and symptoms to look out for, as well as to dispel some common myths. Also, consider hosting empathy training activities for participants to get a sense of what it is like to live with dyslexia or other learning difficulties.
  • Have teacher-specific learning difficulty training:
    Make sure your teaching staff is aware of what signs to beware of if they suspect a student has a learning difficulty, as well as how and when to proceed with this suspicion. 

Teachers are the first line of defense when it comes to catching dyslexia early and getting children access to early intervention therapies.

  • Consider what accommodations you can offer to students with learning difficulties:
    Can you provide a separate testing room for children who have anxiety? Can you be more lenient with deadlines? Do you offer a specialized tutoring service?
  • Have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying:
    Train staff to recognize the signs of bullying in the classroom. Have proper policies and procedures in place so that it is very clear what action steps will be taken to punish, but more importantly educate, any bullies.
  • Consider hosting an annual dyslexia screening/testing event:
    You might want to work with a specialist in your area to come up with a screening test or procedure that you could ask all students to sit for once or twice a year.

Strategies for Students

  • Make sure students understand the importance of inclusivity:
    Emphasize how different people have different strengths and weaknesses, and that societies work best when we can all support each other so that we can all access each other’s unique talents.
  • Take strict disciplinary action:
    Enforce strict disciplinary action for bullying and make sure children are well aware of the consequences of such behavior. Also, make sure children who are getting bullied know how and when to get help.
  • Teach children how to find healthy outlets for stress:
    It has been scientifically proven that break-time and playtime are essential to children’s physical, mental, and emotional development. Try to make sure children have plenty of time to balance studying with play, whether that is in the form of music, art, sport, etc.
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