Personal Inclusion Statement

Personal Statement on Inclusion
My perspective on inclusion in the classroom is vast, but it centers around the idea that
all students have a right to an education and equal opportunity within the classroom. I define
inclusion as the practice of including and supporting every individual, regardless of their
background or abilities. I think this is particularly important to acknowledge for individuals who
may otherwise be discriminated against or marginalized in a more ableist setting. This goes hand
in hand with the philosophy of Least Restrictive Environment, which ensures that students who
receive special education are included in the general education classroom as much as possible
(Family Support Network, 2023). The purpose of this paper is to describe the classroom
strategies I will use as a future educator as they pertain to my definition of inclusion, as well as
the role collaboration will play in carrying this out.
There are many different strategies that I plan to use to implement my vision of inclusion
within my classroom. One of these strategies that I find to be particularly vital is the use of
Universal Design for Learning throughout each of my lessons. The significance of UDL became
apparent to me while working through our course UDL lesson plan assignment. As I adjusted a
lesson I had previously created, I noticed so many gaps in my knowledge that are huge aspects of
being inclusive in the classroom. This helped me to understand the importance of areas such as
engagement, representation, action, and expression and their subareas of recruiting interest,
perception, executive function, and much more (CAST, 2022). Understanding your students
interests and strengths is key to making lessons that will benefit and support them. As a teacher,
it will be my responsibility to ensure I am doing just that. In addition to this strategy, I think
modifications for students that need them are equally as important, especially in providing equal
opportunities in the classroom. Letting students be human first, and learn the way they learn best
O’Rourke 2
will help them grow in ways they never could in a more standardized setting. My goal is to
modify lessons appropriately to allow this growth. These are just two of the many strategies I
hope to provide support for each individual student in my classroom.
It is important to note that working toward inclusion is often a team effort. It may require
collaboration between students’ family members and/or different staff members within the
school. I believe that team collaboration plays a huge role in guaranteeing inclusion for every
student. One case in which this is increasingly prevalent is through the development of
Individualized Education Programs. Those who may be included in the development of an IEP
could range from the parents of the student, a general education teacher of the student, a special
education teacher who works with the student, a representative of the public agency, the student
themselves, and more (Michigan Department of Education, 2021). Working together is an
amazing way to support students and assist them in getting the education they need and deserve.
To reiterate the focus of this paper, my perspective on inclusion centers around the idea
that all students have a right to an education and equal opportunity within the classroom. There
are so many strategies that go into achieving this in the classroom, and a whole community of
people who are needed to support maintaining this inclusion. A quote I would like to add that
summarizes this nicely is “Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action.
Belonging is an outcome.” (Chan, 2023). As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure
classroom inclusivity. This is an aspect of my career that I will forever prioritize.

O’Rourke 3
References
CAST. (2022, February 8). About universal design for learning. CAST. Retrieved April
2023, from https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl#.XV1k2K2-LaY
Chan, A. (2023, January 4). 20 powerful quotes on Inclusive Classroom. Inclusive
Classroom Quotes. Retrieved April 2023, from
https://numberdyslexia.com/inclusive-classroom-quotes/
Family Support Network. (2023). Least Restrictive Environment . Least restrictive
environment (LRE). Retrieved April 2023, from
https://www.fsn-oc.org/lre#:~:text=to%20learn%20separately.-,The%20intent%20of%20L
RE%20is%20to%20make%20sure%20that%20kids,LRE%20is%20for%20your%20child.
Michigan Department of Education. (2021, November). Individualized Education Program
(IEP) - Michigan. Retrieved April 2023, from
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/specialeducation/familymatt
ers/FM1/IEP_FactSheet.pdf?rev=c5e5ee0ed0e44203919866f7b17f0a24

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Personal Statement on Inclusion

the role collaboration will play in carrying this out.

hope to provide support for each individual student in my classroom.

themselves, and more (Michigan Department of Education, 2021). Working together is an

summarizes this nicely is “Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action.

Belonging is an outcome.” (Chan, 2023). As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure

classroom inclusivity. This is an aspect of my career that I will forever prioritize.

2023, from https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl#.XV1k2K2-LaY

Chan, A. (2023, January 4). 20 powerful quotes on Inclusive Classroom. Inclusive

Classroom Quotes. Retrieved April 2023, from

Family Support Network. (2023). Least Restrictive Environment . Least restrictive

environment (LRE). Retrieved April 2023, from

Michigan Department of Education. (2021, November). Individualized Education Program

(IEP) - Michigan. Retrieved April 2023, from

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