5 Steps to Build Inclusive Teams

I share my personal perspective on inclusion and outline five inclusive practices for special education teachers to grow your own inclusion practices . And then , on last week's episode , my guests Jen and Megan shared about the unique strategy of reverse inclusion .

So if you haven't listened to either one of those , I encourage you to go back and see what you've missed .

Today's episode is about one of the most important parts of making inclusion successful , and that's teamwork , because no matter how passionate or how skilled you are , you simply cannot build inclusive classrooms alone Anytime I discuss teamwork , just know that it is near and dear to my heart , because I've seen firsthand just how powerful a united , collaborative team can

be , and I can't wait to share with you tips for making it work for your teams as well . So let's get to it . Hey , special educator , are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list ? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff .

Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload ? Well , hey there . I'm Jennifer Hopper , an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach , who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and , yes , I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it .

I have cried your tears and felt your pain , and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me .

Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos , to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand . So are you ready ?

Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape , because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy , completely overwhelming laugh . So you don't cry . Profession of being a special education teacher . So I've been in situations where inclusion efforts were truly embraced , where general

education teachers , paraprofessionals , specialists and the special education teachers were all on the same page . Everyone communicated regularly , roles were clear and it made it to where students with disabilities were seen as full members of the classroom community .

I even had the opportunity to work with my sister , who is a general education teacher , in inclusion and through structured and intentional collaboration you could see the growth not just in the students but in the adults too .

And then , on the other hand , I've been in situations where inclusion was more of a checkbox than a mindset , where students were technically placed in general education settings but there was no communication , no plan , no shared ownership .

I have felt like an imposter at times when I was providing inclusion services and then , at different times , my paras would complain that they never really knew what their role was . The teacher didn't include them and it ended up being more of a class within a class type setting . When those types of situations occur , inclusion doesn't feel inclusive at all .

It feels frustrating , disconnected and , frankly , unfair . When everyone is on the same page , supporting one another and working toward a common goal , it creates a ripple effect .

Students are included , they're more supported and more successful , general education teachers feel less isolated and more empowered , paraprofessionals feel valued and confident in the role that they play , and special education teachers feel successful .

So today we're going to talk about how we can build and sustain inclusive teams , step by step , with practical ideas that you can start implementing right away . Before we get to the steps , though , I want to say that if you want your inclusion practices to be successful , you have to make it a non-negotiable with your team .

Inclusion isn't just a setting , it's a mindset , and to make it work , it takes a team that is communicating clearly , working toward the same goals and honoring each other's roles In an inclusive environment . You've got a variety of adults working together .

You've got the gen ed teacher , the special education teacher , one or more paraprofessionals , possibly a speech language pathologist , an occupational therapist , physical therapist or other specialists and , let's be honest , when there is no structure in place , things can get messy .

You end up with duplicated efforts , missed communication or support staff who aren't sure where they're needed , and that's where intentional team building and collaboration come in . So the five steps that I want to share with you to make inclusion work for you is one establish clear roles and responsibilities .

Every adult in the room needs to know what their role is , who's responsible for which parts of instruction or support , how they will communicate about student progress and behavior . One of my favorite ways to do this is with a simple team expectation sheet or a weekly planning template . You don't need to overcomplicate it , but you do need to be intentional .

Have a sit down with the whole team and ask questions like who's leading the whole group instruction ? Who's supporting the small groups ? What will each person be doing during small groups ? Who is managing behavior plans or accommodations ? Who will be tracking data on the academic goals , on the behavior goals ?

What will the paraprofessionals do during independent work time ? When people know their purpose , they are more confident , more effective and students benefit from that consistency . Step two is to support the paraprofessionals with purpose . Paras are often the unsung heroes of our programs . You've heard me say that many times before .

They are the ones building the relationships , reinforcing instruction , supporting behaviors and sometimes quite literally holding the day together . But they are also , unfortunately , sometimes the ones who receive the least amount of training , direction or feedback .

So if you're going to have a successful inclusion practice , you're going to have to be intentional about how you train and support your paraprofessionals . It's not enough to hand them a schedule and hope that they figure it out . They need to understand the why behind what they're doing .

They need to feel confident in the strategies they're using and know that they are a valued part of the inclusion team . So , whether it's providing them with a visual schedule , teaching them how to take data , modeling , how to scaffold support

without over assisting , or taking five minutes at the end of each day to check in , you're not just managing a role , you're building a partnership , and that partnership is what allows inclusive environments to thrive . Remember , inclusion doesn't mean that paras are just shadowing students or doing busy work .

They are part of the team and inclusion works best when they are equipped and informed . Step three is to choose the right co-teaching model . There is no one size fits all approach to co-teaching or inclusion , but choosing the right model can make all the difference in how effective your inclusion classroom is .

The key is to select a model , or a combination of models , that fits your students' needs , your needs , your instructional goals and your teaching styles . So let's walk through just a few of the most commonly used co-teaching models . The first one is where one teaches and one supports , and this is probably the most familiar .

In this model , one teacher leads the instruction while the other circulates the room to provide additional support . It's great for keeping students on task and giving targeted help without interrupting the flow of the lesson . The next one is station teaching , and this involves dividing content into stations and having students rotate through them .

Each teacher takes responsibility for one or more stations , which allows for smaller group sizes and more individualized instruction . Parallel teaching means that the class is split in half , with each teacher delivering the same content simultaneously to their group .

This can be especially effective when working with students who benefit from a smaller group setting or need more opportunities for participation .

This also comes in handy when you're trying to differentiate and you can divide groups between the students who are struggling more , and those students can be with a special education teacher , and then the students that are higher can be with a general education teacher .

Another model is alternative teaching , and this one is used when one teacher instructs the majority of the class while the others work in a small group on enrichment , remediation or a targeted skill . This model allows for flexible differentiation as well , without pulling students out of the classroom . This one is probably my least favorite .

And then team teaching is like a duet Both teachers lead the instruction together . This model requires a high level of collaboration and planning , but when it is done well , it can be seamless and engaging for students

. This one is tough to pull off because it takes a lot of trust , but my sister and I pulled this one off for a math class one year and it was one of my favorite inclusion opportunities . I feel like all of the kids really grew and benefited that year general ed and identified students alike .

You may find yourself using more than one of these approaches even within a single class period . You don't have to just stick to one , but my biggest piece of advice is to talk about it ahead of time . Don't walk into the classroom and hope that it just all clicks . Successful co-teaching and successful inclusion thrives on communication and shared planning .

Set the tone together , be flexible and always keep your students' needs at the center . The fourth step is to use scheduling and planning tools . One of the most overwhelming parts of making inclusion work is managing the logistics figuring out who goes where , when and with whom .

That's why using tools like visual schedules for teachers , not for students planning templates and shared calendars can make a world of difference . Google Calendar can help keep the team on the same page . With shared schedules , you can use color-coded weekly lesson planners or color-coded schedules that clarify when and where support is needed .

You can post visual schedules for paraprofessionals in the classroom and they provide clarity and structure . And you can use service tracker sheets to help ensure that accommodations and direct minutes are being delivered as outlined in the IEPs . These tools don't just streamline communication , they help ensure that support is consistent , intentional and legally compliant .

And then the fifth step is to address challenges before they turn into problems . I'll be honest with you as much as I believe in the power of inclusion for our students , it does bring up some tough stuff Conflicting expectations , uneven workloads , miscommunication , and if we don't address these things head on , resentment and burnout can build fast .

I have been a part of inclusion teams where I dreaded going into that general education teacher's room . It was chaotic , it was noisy and I felt the students I was supporting in there were getting little to nothing from being in there . There was no benefit to them . But some of that was on me .

I was young and I was inexperienced and I didn't feel as though I could say anything to that teacher . But had I advocated for myself and my students , had I asked for a planning conversation , shared my concerns respectively , or even just clarified what support was expected ? We might have been able to turn things around .

But I didn't , and instead I let frustration and resentment and dread grow and my students missed out on what could have been a meaningful experience .

So if you are on a team where things feel off , I just want to encourage you don't wait for someone else to fix it . Start the conversation , be honest but be solution focused . Your voice matters and your students deserve a team that works together for their success . So my best tip here is to normalize team check-ins .

Make space to ask what's working well , what's challenging you ? Where do you feel unclear or unsupported ? How can we better meet our students' needs together ? You don't have to solve everything in one meeting , but keeping that door open for honest reflection and shared problem solving can go a long way in keeping your team strong .

So that's it , my five-step process for successfully implementing inclusion supports for your students . So let's do a quick review . Step one establish clear roles and responsibilities . Make sure every adult on the team knows their purpose , tasks and who's responsible for what . Step two support paraprofessionals with the tools , training and direction .

They need to be effective partners in the classroom , not just an extra set of hands . Step three is to choose the right co-teaching model . Use the model that works best for your students , your goals and your teaching styles , and then switch it up when needed .

Step four is to use scheduling and planning tools to keep everyone on the same page and ensure services are delivered consistently . And step five address those challenges before they grow . Make time for reflection , check-ins and honest conversations so that your team stays strong .

If you receive my weekly newsletter that comes out every Thursday , I'll be sending out a free inclusion planning sheet to help you and your team map out roles , responsibilities , schedules and support needs so you can make your inclusion practices more intentional , organized and effective .

It's a simple but powerful tool to get everyone on the same page and keep student success at the center of your planning . So keep an eye on your inbox . If you don't receive the newsletter , you can go to wwwspedprepacademycom slash podcast and get signed up . So here's your challenge for the week .

Think about one relationship within your inclusion team that could use a little more clarity or connection . Maybe it's a paraprofessional who needs more direction , a general education teacher who wants to support inclusion but doesn't know quite where to start , or a co-teacher who needs help dividing responsibilities more effectively .

And if your school or your district doesn't currently have regular inclusion services , start by initiating a conversation with your administrator , brainstorm some possible entry points . Maybe it's reverse inclusion like we talked about last week shared homeroom time or even just collaborative planning . Inclusion begins with connection and small steps can lead to meaningful change .

Next week we will continue the conversation on inclusion by chatting with Ashley Barlow from the Collaborative IEP about the barriers to inclusion . See you next week .