Experiencing Inclusion: A Critical Analysis of the Lives of Teachers in Inclusive Classrooms Ann Monroe-Baillargeon, Ph.D. The University of Rochester Warner Graduate School of Education P.O. Box , Dewey Hall C Rochester, New York Phone: (585) Fax: (585)

Introduction In spite of many schools’ missions and many policymakers’ professions of support for inclusion and for raising academic standards, classroom teachers struggle to be creative, thoughtful and caring in meeting the needs of all learners. The teacher participants in this study reveal their understanding of the balance between inclusion and educational accountability providing insight into implementing and sustaining educational reforms.

Studying Teachers’ Lives Barbara Levin (2003) conducted a 15-year, longitudinal study in which she examined four elementary teachers’ professional development and pedagogical thinking. Sonia Nieto’s (2003) study of urban teachers provides an account of the challenges they faced and the motivations that allowed them to persist in their everyday classroom work. Hargraeves (2003) revealed teachers’ means of coping in cultures of increasingly imposed standards and curricula through a thoughtful analysis of the various degrees and ways in which teachers cope in a “knowledge society”. This research and other studies have provided the foundation upon which I study the lives of teachers in inclusive classrooms. AERA: Lives of Teachers SIG

Teachers’ narratives Perplexed by the challenge of how we might understand and potentially change teacher practice Connelly & Clandinin (1998) have argued that an examination of teacher narratives is necessary: –From our point of view what is missing is an understanding of knowledge, not so much as something given to people, but as something narratively embodied in how a person stands in the world. Knowledge as attribute can be given, knowledge as narrative cannot. The latter needs to be experienced in context (p.157). Many researchers believe that our best knowledge of teacher understanding is derived from their narratives (Elbaz, 1983,Clandinin, 1986; Connelly & Clandinin, 1990; Carter, 1993), making this theoretical framework particularly well-suited to studies which examine teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their work.

The Study Research Questions How do teachers talk about and respond to the changing demographics inherent in inclusive schools and classrooms? How do teachers in inclusive classrooms talk about and respond to high-stakes testing and other policy pressures in this current climate of accountability.

Participants NameSchoolTch Exp CertificationContract MissyUrban7Elem & Spec, K-12 Spec. 1/2 CathyUrban6Elem, Literacy Elem. 1/2 MelindaUrban6Elem, Math, Spec K-12 Elem. 1/2

Methodology and Data analysis Qualitative Methodology –Feminist perspective (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000) –Narrative (Connelly and Clandinin, 1990) Data Analysis –Constant Comparative (Glaser, 1978) –Symbolic Interactionism (Bogdan and Biklen, 2003) –Grounded Theory (Strauss, 1995)

Findings out-of-classroom landscapes in-classroom space Advocating for ourselves and others “Advocate for them” “I’ll take care of myself” “Advocacy skills”

Findings cont. Learning from and with each other “ I’ve learned so much from her” “I’m constantly learning” “learning from the kids as well” “learn with experience” “learn more about each other”

Findings cont. Uncertain Futures “it kind of gnaws at me and drives me crazy”

Implications Implications for teacher education and professional development How do we teach, assess and allow our students to experience, advocating for themselves and others, learning from and with each other and preparing for uncertain futures?