This paper is set within the context of my growth and development as a teacher and
student in the Masters of Education program. During my teaching career, I have been
fortunate to teach a variety of special education programs, bringing a diverse and
inclusive perspective into my curricular planning in my mainstream classroom teaching.
Throughout my learning journey, I’ve seen the positive impacts of incorporating
inclusion into both practice and planning on the learning experience for every learner. I
have come to realize the importance of bringing inclusive practices beyond specialized
programs and into everyday learning in the mainstream classroom where they benefit
the learning of both neurodiverse and neurotypical students alike. In this paper, I argue
that teachers have a significant responsibility to create a meaningful inclusive
atmosphere that not only makes learning accessible and flexible for all learners, but
also challenges our own comforts found in traditional Eurocentric practices and
encourages a growth mindset. I claim this because (1) every student has the right to
learn and connect with what they are learning, (2) a culture of care is essential for
creating an inclusive atmosphere where students and teachers feel safe to explore
challenging topics like racism and privilege, and (3) making meaningful connections with
difficult topics requires feelings of ownership through student-led intrinsic learning. The
implications are that if we want all students to find success and connection in our
classrooms, we must implement inclusive strategies as a standard practice in every
classroom for any student through inclusive and diverse approaches to curricular
design.
