Educational Support For Novice Teachers In Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Shelley Moore wrote, “We are diverse, all of us. We all have strengths, we all have stretches, and we all need to get better at something” (Moore, 2016, p.5). Numerous teachers in British Columbia (BC) feel professionally unprepared to fulfil the needs of students with special needs (Naylor, 2003; Moore, 2016). This qualitative study examined how employed novice teachers are being supported to create and teach in inclusive classrooms. To answer this question, I interviewed six participants comprised of novice teachers and leadership team members. I made three recommendations. First, I recommended that schools establish mentorship programs for their novice teachers. Second, I recommended establishing collaboration time, so that all teachers will have time to share and discuss their understandings and learning. Finally, for the benefit of all teachers I encouraged schools to focus professional development on topics related to inclusion.