This document discusses the characteristics of effective teachers in inclusive programs. It states that teachers need training in child development, to understand similarities and differences among children, and respect diversity. They must work as a team to meet all children's unique needs. Effective teachers seek information about disabilities, are open to additional training, and are willing to evaluate their own programs. They treat each child as an individual and apply developmental principles, making the most of teachable moments. Key characteristics include enthusiasm, patience, consistency, flexibility, and facilitating experiences for children.

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Chapter 11
Characteristics of Effective Teachers in
Inclusive Programs

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Teachers as Members of a Team
• Teacher training in child development is a
must.
• Understand the similarities among all
children.
• Respect the ethnic, racial, linguistic, and
cultural diversity of the community.
• Create learning experiences that are
culturally sensitive.

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Teachers as Members of a Team
(continued)
• Understand the variety in children's
abilities and needs.
• Work as a team to meet unique needs of
children.

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Teachers as Members of a Team
(continued)
• Teacher concerns
– Teachers feel unprepared to work with
children who have disabilities.
– Supports are available to help teachers.
– Teachers need to want to seek out
information to help them help the child with
disabilities.
– The more informed the teacher is, the better
prepared that teacher will be for the
classroom.

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Teachers as Members of a Team
(continued)
• Supplemental professional development
– Teachers need additional knowledge about
specific disabilities as each child is enrolled.
– On-the-job experience is also necessary.
– State support agencies have resources
available to help teachers learn about the
different disabilities.

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Teachers as Members of a Team
(continued)
• Teacher and program self-evaluation
– Teachers and program staff must be willing to
examine their own program and evaluate
where changes might need to be made.
• Physical environment
• Communication with family
• Assessment and curriculum
• Strategies for promoting positive behavior

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The Applied Developmental Approach
• A child is a child
– Teachers need to view each child as a child.
– Blaming a behavior on a disability is
unfounded.
– Children are children first and need to be
treated as such.

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The Applied Developmental Approach
(continued)
• Review of developmental principles
– Developmental sequences
• Understanding that a child moves through skill
sequences is more important than knowing how far
a child is behind or ahead.
– Interrelationships among developmental
domains
• Recognize that the whole child needs to be taught,
not just one developmental domain should be
focus of instruction.

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The Applied Developmental Approach
(continued)
– Developmental inconsistencies
• This is when a child seems to be progressing then
begins to slow or regress.
– The transactional process
• Learning goes on directly and indirectly.
• Teachers need to examine the environment to see
the full effect of their teaching.

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The Applied Developmental Approach
(continued)
– Contingent stimulation
• The more a child is rewarded for communicating,
the more the child will communicate.
• Self-esteem develops, attachments are more
secure, development is smoother.
– Readiness to learn
• Given the opportunity to learn in a quality
environment will give the child skills needed to be
ready for school.

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The Applied Developmental Approach
(continued)
• Teachable moments
– Those naturally occurring opportunities when
a child is most likely to learn something new.
• Milieu teaching
– The child initiates a learning activity by asking
a teacher for help, materials, or information.

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Characteristics of Effective Teachers
• Enthusiasm
• Sense of humor
• Patience
• Consistency
• Flexibility
• Trustworthiness
• Provides limits
• Facilitate experiences

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Characteristics of Effective Teachers
(continued)
• Teacher as mediator
– The teacher is the mediator between the child
and the environment.
– The teacher decreases support as the child is
ready for more independent learning.
• Also known as scaffolding.