Inclusive assignment - observations maths and the silent middle pupils

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Inclusive Learning Assignment                

Critically reflect upon, analyse and synthesise your developing understanding of inclusive learning in relation to the chosen diversity focus. What are the implications of this understanding for your own professional development? Your synthesis must draw on your work with the chosen class, your assignment activities and your wider reading.

For my inclusive assignment I looked at a top set year 9, within this class I observed that I had a group of 6 pupils who would engage in the given task but they tended to stay quiet and avoid class discussions. This group of student are called the silent middle. Collins (1996) suggested that the emphasis on physical truancy masks an even greater problem in terms of those children who attend school but who ‘play truant in mind’.  These children elsewhere have been called ‘quiet, tend to have good attendance records and are physically present in the classroom’.  However, their inability or unwillingness to participate in the learning activities which are planned and presented prevents them from learning.

Observing this group of pupils in other subjects gave me both reassurance and concerns that they presented the same behaviour of being the silent middle.  This meant that these pupils did not suffer just in the Mathematics lesson. I observe this group of student in three lessons, Humanities, French and Science. In all three lessons I was able to come across techniques that would help in creating an inclusive environment for the pupils.

What I took from the Humanities lesson when looking at inclusive learning (silent middle) I need strategies which will enable me to work more with those who need the help including those within the silent middle. The use of sub-groups meant that pupils would be able to work together in order to achieve the objective. They would be able to rely on each other rather than relying on me (the teacher) for extra guidance

‘In a learning community, students learn through carefully structured collaboration as they participate in a shared practice or a group project in a setting that resembles a real-life situation’ Weinstein (1991)p.g. 6

In the humanities lesson this was achieved by structuring the lesson to allow group work, in the Mathematic classroom I structured the classroom so that the pupil are working in groups of up to 4. This allowed the pupils to interact with each other at an academic level.  

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In the French lesson I saw an excellent resource that I could incorporate within my classroom to allow more inclusive learning. The use of whiteboards mean that I was able to obtain instant feedback of the pupils, the silent middle pupils did not feel insecure about giving answers to question and they felt included. As Collins (1996) says we need to take steps to make these pupils ‘active learner’ and I feel this was a resource that made these pupils more of active leaner.  

Within the Science Lesson I saw some skills that where useful for inclusive learning, I ...

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