Learning to Get Along Module 5: Story scripts and commentaries

1. Learning to Get Along
How to integrate social and emotional learning
into your teaching practice
Slide commentaries and stories
Created by Spectacle Learning Media
Content developed by Jean Bernard and Alysoun Johnston
Narration and sound design: Jean Bernard, Alysoun Johnston, Eliot Johnston, Michael Johnston
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
License. To view the terms of this license, please go to:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

2. 1
Slide 1 Introduction
When education policy makers and practitioners
use the term ‘inclusion’ or ‘inclusivity’, they are
mostly talking about a model for ensuring quality
education for students with special needs. This
module takes this meaning into account, but
‘inclusive education’ has a broader meaning
which address other reasons that learners are
often excluded from full participation and,
therefore, not enabled to reach their full
potential; for example, because they do not speak
the language of instruction, they are of a different
race, class, ethnicity or gender identity than the
majority. As the title says, ‘Learning is for
everyone−how to make your classroom and
school more inclusive. As teachers, we all know
how easy this is to say and how hard it is to do.
Slide 2 Inspiration
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on
that in diversity there is beauty and there is
strength.”
Maya Angelou
Writer, poet, civil rights activist
Slide 3 Objectives
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
• List and describe the main principles of
inclusive education.
• Explain the connection between inclusive
education and human rights.
• Name several benefits of inclusive education
for all students.
• Give at least 2 examples of inclusive
strategies that can be implemented in your
school and classroom.

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Slide 4 Mrs. Bandera’s story
Mrs. Bandera is a 6th
grade math teacher
at Instituto María Canales Elementary
School in Mexico. As a new teacher, she
was already feeling overwhelmed with her
teaching load and especially with trying to
prepare her students to take the national
examinations at the end of the term. Then
one day, the principal told her that she
would be getting a new student in her
class. “Maria”, explained Ms. Flores, “has
special needs.”
“But my class is already overcrowded,”
objected Mrs. Bandera. “…and many of
my students have problems. Pedro, for
example, is dyslexic, and Juanita has ADHD. She can’t sit still for one minute. Eduardo seems to be
depressed most of the time. Some days he just stares into space.”
“Yes, yes I know,” acknowledged Ms. Flores, “and you are doing a wonderful job…but Maria has a
physical condition that requires special attention and accommodation, and I am here to help.” Mrs.
Bandera listened cautiously as the principal continued.
“As you know, our new school policy calls for including all students, even those with serious
disabilities, into regular classrooms, for as long as possible each day. Before this, students with
disabilities like Maria’s were placed in special schools or programs with teachers and health
professionals trained to help them learn, but they were mostly kept isolated from the rest of the
students. Sadly, some of them did not go to school at all or were placed in institutions. Our new
inclusive education policy ensures that they get the education they need to fulfill their potential.”
“That is very idealistic, “said Mrs. Bandera, “but, in reality, we teachers just cannot cope.”
“No, not by yourselves.” replied Ms. Flores. “First of all, at the end of this term, before Maria joins
your class, we will be giving all teachers an intensive training program on the principles and
practices of inclusive education, on how to organize your class to serve students with diverse needs.
Then, we’ll form a partnership with Maria’s current special needs teacher and our school nurse to
make a plan just for Maria.”
“I’m afraid that the other students will make fun of her.”
“If that happens, it will have to stop immediately. Setting the ground rules for the classroom social
environment is very important, and it is one of the topics covered in the training. In addition, we
have found that including disabled students in regular classrooms actually improves understanding
of what we mean by ‘ability’ and builds strong relationships. Don’t worry, you will see what I mean.

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Slide 5 What is ‘inclusion’?
‘Inclusion’ is the fundamental principle and
practice of welcoming and respecting all
members of a social group, ensuring their equal
rights, and committing to an environment in
which every person is valued, regardless of
gender, race, ethnicity, economic situation, or
level of mental or physical ability.
Applied to education, inclusion (or ‘inclusivity’) is
based on the premise that all students can and
should be full participants in their classrooms,
schools and communities. In inclusive
classrooms, students with disabilities participate
alongside their differently abled peers in the
same age group. Girls and boys are treated
equally and treat each other with respect. Students of different races, ethnic groups, abilities and
economic classes all feel welcomed and supported. Students who are new to the school environment, who
are learning the language of instruction or who may have gaps in their learning history are fully welcomed
and supported by both their teachers and their peers.
‘Inclusion’ means the practice of making all students feel and be included. But it is often used specifically
to refer to including students with special needs–that is, students with specific physical, cognitive,
academic, social or emotional challenges—many of whom would have been excluded from regular
classrooms or sent to special schools prior to the adoption of inclusive education policies. Although in
practice, inclusive education presents many of its own challenges, the driving principle of successful
programs is that both students and teachers feel welcomed and supported, and that teachers can rely on
having access to specialized expertise when they need it.
’
Slide 6 Is inclusion only about students with
disabilities?
No. The application of the principles of
‘inclusion’ encompass any and all of the reasons
children in a particular context may have been
excluded from getting a quality education. A
child may, for example, not be diagnosed as
intellectually, emotionally or physically
‘impaired’ but may have characteristics or life
experiences that create the need for specialized
support. She or he may be considered
exceptionally gifted or talented, may have a
genetic condition that makes her look different,
or may have been severely traumatized by
witnessing or experiencing the horrors of war. It
is also important to remember that not all
individual characteristics that require specialized support are visible and may manifest themselves in
different ways. There is in fact, no end of ways in which individuals are different, but it is also true
that some individual students need more attention and support from their teachers than others.

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Slide 6 Is inclusion only about students with disabilities? (continued)
The inclusive classroom, however, is one that acknowledges individuality, provides extra support to
students who need it most, and creates a climate in which all students have space to grow. That
said, implementing inclusive education requires additional resources and teacher support, some of
which will be discussed later in this module. It cannot usually be accomplished all it once. However,
the aim, in both theory and practice, is to enable teachers to establish a learning environment based
on acceptance and belonging for all students, gain access to support services for students who need
them, and engage parents and communities in helping all children reach their full potential.
Slide 7 What do the scientists say?
Scientists tell us that all modern humans are
members of the same species—homo
sapiens–and that except for gender, the
differences among us are shaped by
adaptation to our natural environment and
by culture. But is discrimination against
others that appear to be different something
that is in our nature or or is it something we
learn to do as we grow and become
socialized into one group or another? As
they do on so many other fundamental
questions about human behavior, scientists
disagree. Some say that we are born free of
discrimination, that it is a learned set of
attitudes and behaviors. Others say that fear
of others who are different is ingrained in our brains, as it is in those of other primates, to protect
ourselves. When we see someone who appears to be very different, a response is immediately
triggered in our brains that causes us to be fearful and fight or run away. This is sometimes called
‘fight or flight’, an urge which generally fades once the rational areas of our brains convince us that
there is no danger.
Whichever view is correct (nature or nurture), what matters is that the more we are around people
who are not familiar—different in appearance, beliefs, language or in any way—the less we see
them as ‘different and more we come to see how much we are alike.
Because as young children grow and become socialized into family, community and school groups,
and because the years from birth to age 5 are crucial for developing healthy social and emotional
outcomes, the younger children have opportunities to build friendships and establish bonds within
diverse groups, the more likely it is that they will naturally become empathetic and socially aware of
people who are different from themselves, easily accept them on equal terms and become more
resilient and open to social change.

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Slide 8 Six key principles of inclusion
1. Equal access— reducing or eliminating
barriers to participation, for example
physical barriers by providing
handicapped access to classrooms,
libraries and laboratories.
2. Normalization—involves changing
mindsets to accept and respect people
with disabilities or other characteristics
which make them ‘different.’
3. Sensitivity to learners’ individual
strengths and challenges. This involves
making space in the curriculum for
getting to know your students as
human beings with individual
identities, histories and personalities.
4. Reflective practice–this refers to a
multifaceted approach to teaching and learning that invites teachers, either as individuals or as a
group, to meet and reflect on how something was taught and how it could be changed or improved
to reach all learners using, for example, continuous assessment tools.
5. Differentiated instruction is exactly what the term says—finding ways to adapt teaching and
learning to meet the different needs of diverse learners.
6. Community and collaboration-–this simply means that inclusive education works best when all the
people in a child’s life collaborate—her parents, her siblings, her extended family, other community
members, her medical support team, her general classroom teachers, special needs teachers, and
tutors-–all collaborate in support of her inclusion into the classroom and community.
Slide 9 Programs and tools that enable
inclusive education
Since legal frameworks and
commitments to inclusive education
have been embraced by school systems
around the world, there are a number of
programs, methods and tools recognized
as effective enablers. Among these are:
• Early intervention and childhood
programs in which children ages 1-5
can get specialized help if they have
identified developmental delays or
specific health conditions.
• Least restrictive environment
(LRE) applies mainly to inclusion
of students with disabilities in the
regular classroom, but may also
apply to L2 learners—that is,
students who are still learning the language of instruction.

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• Assistive technologies range from high to low, both in terms of sophistication and cost.
High tech devices include, for example, hand-held devices such as the one you see in the
picture here, that enables children to communicate by touching the screen, and
motorized wheelchairs. Low tech devices are usually lower cost but may require
significant time and expertise to develop and use; for example, reading masks, pencil
weights, Braille reading materials and signing systems for hearing impaired children.
Slide 10 What do regular classroom teachers
need to know and be able to do?
First, become familiar with international,
national and state (or district) legal
frameworks, all the way from the
international Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the UN
General Assembly in 2006, down to your
school’s policy on inclusive education, teacher
guidelines and other relevant resources.
Secondly, gain the trust of families and
advocacy organizations in your community. In
addition, work in teams with other teachers,
specialists and parents to understand
students’ needs and develop individual
education plans (IEPs)
Finally, work to create inclusive learning environment which, as you already know, is one where every
student is equally respected, supported and has both physical and social ‘space’ to grow, to express
herself, and to reach her full potential.
Slide 11 Practical tips for differentiating
the learning environment and process.
• Begin and end each lesson with whole
class meetings for activity orientation,
instructions and sharing.
• Set clear guidelines for students to
complete tasks, report progress and take
on new ones in an orderly fashion.
• Designate different areas of the classroom
for specific tasks (quiet areas for reading,
areas for pair and group work).
• Observe small group task completion and
provide support as needed.
• Make use of wall and shelf space to
display a variety of cultures, abilities and
home settings.
Slide 9 Programs and tools that enable inclusive education (continued)
Put simply, this policy requires that learners spend as much time as possible in classrooms
and in other learning spaces, including play areas, together with their differently abled
peers. In other words, learners with special needs should be separated as little as possible,
or in least restrictive ways.

8. 7
Slide 12 Learning in inclusive classrooms
Several of the principles and tips for
differentiating instruction and creating inclusive
classrooms are illustrated in these classrooms.
For example, space allocated for teacher
supported group work with wheelchair access,
use of technologies by students with special
needs, students gathered for a whole group
discussion or orientation, differently abled
students working in groups or pairs.
Which of these methods and tools are already
being implemented in your classroom and
school? What others that are not shown here or
mentioned in the previous slides are you
familiar with? What do you think is possible in
the near future? What resources and expertise
would be required?
Slide 13 An example from Zanzibar
In this example from Zanzibar, a decision has
been taken to use large sized image and print
materials in children’s mother tongue to access
basic literacy, including but not only for those
with visual impairment
Slide 14 National commitments: an
example from Brazil
The National Plan of Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, also known as ‘Living without
Limit’, enacted by the Government of Brazil in
2011, is a legally binding policy that covers
education, health care, social inclusion and
accessibility. Among its specific measures for
education, the Plan ensures access to
classrooms and transporation to and from
school for learners with disabilities. It also
provides teacher training, assistive devices and
bilingual education programs.
Does your country have a national plan or
another form of national commitment to
inclusive education? What are the main
components of the plan? How successfully is
the plan being implemented?

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Slide 15 Examples of inclusive education strategies from around the world
Many school systems as well as local communities and schools have recognized the need to build
children’s social skills. These examples show a wide range of strategies and programs designed to
respond to both local and more broadly to problematic issues such as school violence, exclusion and
individual trauma.
Slide 16 The takeaway

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Slides 17, 18, 19 Self-checkout*
*Make a note of your choices and discuss with colleagues. You can check answers on p. 11 (slide 22)

11. 10
Slide 20 Think like a teacher*
*Copy the chart into your journal or display on a board or screen. If possible, discuss with colleagues before
you share or present to others.

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Slide 21 What’s next?*
Slide 22 Self-checkout answers

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Thank you for participating in Module 5. We hope that the ideas and information presented in this
self-learning program are useful to you and your students. We invite you to send your feedback
directly to us at spectaclelearningmedia@gmail.com. We also encourage you to send your own
stories and ideas for classroom strategies or activities related to the themes of Modules 1-6 (listed
below) to the same address. We are planning to set up a platform for sharing these with educators
around the world.
To request a PowerPoint version of Module 5 or for information on how to adapt this course for
your school, district or system, please visit:
https://spectaclelearningmedia.net
Learning to Get Along
How to integrate social and emotional learning into your teaching
practice
1. Understanding SEL – What and why?
2. Implementing SEL – Where, when and how often?
3. Emotional awareness – What it is and how it can help
students to take charge of their lives
4. Social awareness – How to help students build strong
social relationships
5. Learning is for everyone – How to make your classroom
and school more inclusive
6. Peace from within – Finding a treatment for bullying that
works in your school