The teacher’s role is to offer equal opportunities to all the students by creating an inclusive learning environment. The teacher proposes activities and lessons that respond to the same learning criteria through a variety of methodologies, thus meeting the needs of all learners.
In the inclusive environment, the learner is at the centre of learning. Successful achievement requires that we know how each student learns best and that we provide the appropriate materials and strategies to support this. For this to be possible, teachers must be trained.
Collaborative learning is important for inclusion. Groups should be made based on the abilities of each student, so that each group has the same opportunities. This means that groups should be mixed. The purpose of this learning is for students to collaborate and share ideas. In addition, the teacher will emphasise that mistakes are an opportunity to learn. We all make mistakes and students should be offered a respectful and safe environment where they can experiment.
As a teacher you should be aware of the tools you have at your disposal to deal with moments of challenge and minimise classroom management problems.
- Stay calm to maintain authority in the classroom.
- Be aware of cultural differences.
- Treat all students equally, respectfully, and politely.
- Deal with behavioural problems on an individual basis.
- In case of conflict, listen to everyone involved.
- Be consistent with your own decisions.
- If they are minor conflicts, sometimes it is better to ignore them.
You may also have problems with a specific student who is annoying, rude, and disrespectful. To improve the situation, we suggest you:
- Try to understand where this misbehaviour comes from. Talk to them in private.
- Try to put yourself in the student’s shoes.
- Use positive reinforcement, praising the student when he does something well to increase his self-esteem.
Possible behavioural problems aside, you may also encounter other problems that affect a group, for example, that each student has a different learning pace and progresses differently. Some tips for dealing with these challenges include:
- Take time to get to know all your students and know what motivates them. Show interest in their ideas and what topics they are interested in.
- Once you know their skills and abilities, plan your class, and make it clear what objectives they have to meet and what criteria they have to follow to pass each subject. Adapt your material to their needs as well.
At the end of each lesson, you can evaluate the objectives by making games or tests. As we said before, praise those who have met their goals. For those who have failed, remind them that they can have another chance to improve. Do not put pressure on learners, as this can demotivate them.
In conclusion, an inclusive learning environment is desirable for all learners, as it helps foster tolerance and acceptance of those who are different.
