Inclusion! What's In It For Everyone?

To this day Micah and I are friends.  We talk regularly and hang out together.  In June 2005, he danced at my wedding, and most recently he flew on his own to visit me in Chicago.  We will be friends for life.  Micah has a huge impact on me.  When it was time to write my final paper during my senior year in college describing my approach and philosophy on teaching, nearly 30 percent of the content was about what I had learned from my relationship with Micah.  He taught me that every student learns at a different pace.   That students aren’t just in school to get an education, but are also there to develop social skills and lifelong friends.  He challenged me to teach everyone as much as I can.

Now I am a first-year teacher in the Chicago area.  I continue to practice what I learned about inclusion and friendships.  There is a photo of Micah with his big smile in my classroom reminding me of what true friendship is and how important it is that every student in my classroom feels included.  There is a young man with Asperger’s syndrome who is a student in my classroom.  Although his needs are different from Micah’s, I often try to get him involved with the other students in ways that he might not do himself.

I believe that inclusion is a powerful tool that when used properly has a lifelong effect.  I first learned it when I was a student in high school sitting next to Micah in science class.  I am not learning it as a teacher in high school.