Welcome to the EXPLORING THE CORE PODCAST, where we delve into the elements that make up our education system and learn more about how that system can improve for the benefit of all students in schools today. I'm Greg Mullen and in this episode I’ll be talking about concepts of Academic Inclusion and Behavioral Coaching, to highlight the impact a developmental mindset can have on building an inclusive environment in a general education classroom. I'll also be talking to Meg Bristow, a Special Education Coordinator out of Santa Ana, California, about her thoughts on the topic of inclusion in schools. Thank you for listening, I hope you enjoy the show.
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Episode transcripts available at www.ExploringTheCore.com
Episode Release Date: December 20, 2019
"This social and emotional approach to identifying a student’s strengths allows me to highlight which competencies I will need to incorporate into my classroom management." - Greg Mullen
"The need for an inclusive classroom environment, in my opinion, begins with a developmental mindset that looks at how each individual student is developing..." - Greg Mullen
"[A Developmental Mindset] is an awareness that a classroom full of students around the same age may actually be working through a wide range of certain social, emotional, and even cognitive and psychosocial stages of human development." - Greg Mullen
Interview: Meg Bristow, Special Education Coordinator
"I don’t consider myself the expert, I consider us all experts, and so kind of figuring out what teachers already know about kids and what they’re bringing into the classroom that we can utilize to support different students - so that’s kind of fun. That creativity is really what I love about this job." - Meg Bristow
"I mean, to me, it’s less of a placement option and more of just a belief that everyone belongs regardless of their perceived need or ability... it’s the idea that everyone does belong and can contribute maybe in different ways." - Meg Bristow
"So the kids with the services and IEPs are getting that service but so is everyone else in the classroom and they can all practice together and reinforce throughout the day versus just this one kid getting one-on-one instruction thirty-minutes a week. So, ya, a great use of resources and it [inclusion] really just makes sense." - Meg Bristow