Optimizing Conditions of Teachers' Professional Practice to Support Students with Special Educational Needs. Teacher Voice

Across the country, teachers are working to provide individualized instruction to the students in their classes. Teachers use their professional judgement to modify teaching to suit the learning needs of students. Occasionally, this modification is required as a result of students being formally identified as having a learning exceptionality. As classrooms become more diverse, the teacher's task becomes more difficult. The challenges associated with teachers adapting to meet individual student needs can be made more difficult given the trend toward standardization in education. It is counterintuitive to be focussing on individualized instruction while at the same time hoping for standardized outputs on a standardized assessment. This paper presents some of the specific conditions of practice necessary for teachers to properly support inclusive schools and classrooms. (Contains 5 charts and 15 endnotes.)