Diverse Abilities Essay

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Q3. Describe some of the most important challenges facing teachers who work with children who have special educational needs today. In the education system today mainstream classrooms will have children with diverse needs. Australian schools are required by government legislation to meet the needs of individual students without prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping on the basis of race, gender, class, beliefs, ethnicity, age, sexuality or disability (Board of studies NSW, 2000). Teachers face challenges that impact on their teaching and on the students they educate. Some of the main challenges include the reality of teaching one or more students with diverse needs in a mainstream classroom and the time needed for behaviour management of students with diverse needs. Other challenges are ensuring that they communicate effectively with students so they have the optimum success of learning and adjusting the curriculum to ensure equity of learning for all. Another challenge is co-ordinating the other professionals and school learning support officers (SLSO) that will share the classroom with the teacher on a daily basis. This adds pressure to the teacher’s day as they then have to supervise them. The teacher has to ensure that they are being effectively used to enhance the learning of the student with diverse needs. Funding challenges for extra resources are another area that the teacher has to allow time for. Meeting these challenges leads to increased stress for teachers as “many mainstream teachers report that they do not have the time, training, experience; personal resources and/or access to professional development that they need to feel confident about teaching students with a disability in a mainstream class” (Shaddock., et.al, 2007). Research shows that a major concern for teachers is their lack of time for planning and the demands students with

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