Presentation by: Juliane Dmyterko
Session: Session A | Time: 9:30AM-9:50AM | Location: Room 200
The move towards inclusive education in the last several decades has meant that there are more students with special educational needs in regular classrooms that require additional support. As a result, education assistants (EAs) are increasingly used in inclusive classrooms to support these students. In Canada, approximately every second classroom has an EA, so it is likely that most students and teachers will encounter and work with EAs. Previous research has identified ongoing challenges facing teachers and EAs who work together in inclusive classrooms. In this presentation, we will consider these previous findings about EA work and discuss findings from our own recent research on this topic in BC. In 2018, we surveyed over 300 EAs and teachers in BC about their training and experiences working in schools, in particular, in inclusive classrooms. We found that ongoing challenges for teachers and EAs exist around collaboration, communication, and training. Furthermore, differentiation and accommodations for students with special educational needs is sometimes lacking and ongoing development in this area is still required. We will review practical strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms to support team building with EAs and to bolster more effective inclusion for all students. The goal of this presentation is to have attendees leave with a better understanding of the issues surrounding inclusion and strategies to be more effective at supporting the inclusion of all students.