Why we wrote the book – David Armstrong
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By David Armstrong
Why we wrote the book
Teachers want to make inclusion work in classrooms but need the knowledge and confidence to make it happen. We wanted to share everything we knew in the book about how to make inclusion work practically – and work well – best practice. This advice/book content reflects the latest research, years of practical experience as classroom teachers, and the years we have spent nurturing new teachers. The Inclusive Teacher is designed to be your trusted companion on a busy Tuesday morning in class – the text you turn to when facing everyday practicalities.
Why it’s needed
The Inclusive Teacher is needed because students with a disability or other disadvantage deserve to have a fair and inclusive education. Too many disadvantaged young people in Australia are being excluded from school or have a poor school experience. It’s shocking that educational outcomes are the same now as in the 1980s for so many students with a disability – despite all the public noise about inclusion. The Inclusive Teacher is our contribution to address this situation.
Who will benefit
Pre-service teachers in Australia will benefit from this book and use it often. Pre-service teachers are prepared for classroom reality by The Inclusive Teacher with clear, simple advice, e.g. on documenting inclusion, e.g. what to do if they think a student is experiencing poor mental health. Content is mapped explicitly to graduate teacher standards (AITSL) to give the reader confidence.
Existing teachers who want to update or further their practice will want this book when they are updating their practice or face tricky situations in the classroom and want to know how to do things differently. Deeper dives are also provided, for example, on trauma-informed teaching and on engaging ‘hard to reach’ parents. This information was provided by experts in this area. Case studies are used throughout the book to aid learning, with activities provided to help unpack issues. These are based on real classroom situations, real students, and real schools from my experience over the years.
Why this book is unique
Important, unique content in The Inclusive Teacher about safety in school, inclusive assessment, and the learning process will benefit every teacher. This is vital knowledge. Content in The Inclusive Teacher has been road-tested since 2016, with pre-service teachers, teachers, school leaders/schools, experts, and parents of students with a disability. The Inclusive Teacher is also unique because we focus on the tricky issues and daily practicalities of inclusion. To our knowledge, no other recent book designed for Australian pre-service teachers offers this.
One page I’m proud of – why
I am proud of a page (p.47) that explains stages in the learning process. This clear information helps the reader figure out exactly where a student (any student, but particularly one with a disability) might be struggling in learning and what to do about it using targeted, efficient support. Less effort by the teacher, more impact.
I am proud of this content because
● Teachers and pre-service teachers I have shared this with since 2016 tell me they weren’t aware of stages in learning. They tell me it is ‘gold’, which really improves their teaching and knowledge about how learning happens.
● This content is an original contribution of the book based on research (developmental psychology) but is accessible and usable in every classroom.
● This page highlights how motivation and learning behaviors are key to progress in learning, as well as a student’s capacities, such as memory, which are discussed by learning science.
Celebrate and thanks.
Writing The Inclusive Teacher with my co-author has been a huge undertaking, but I am proud to share this practical knowledge with you and help you make inclusion work in your classroom. I must thank the many pre-service teachers, teachers, educational leaders, experts and parents who I have road-tested this book with – their feedback has been vital, enabling a super up-to-date, useful, and relevant book.
The Inclusive Teacher
This quick-reference, highly practical guide is designed to help teachers successfully include students with a disability in the classroom, as well as being a research text.
An essential read for pre-service teachers, this book will also be of interest to new and in-service teachers in the mainstream sector as well as in the special education and alternative school sectors.