Dear General Education Teacher, Thank You for Embracing Inclusion

Knowing my son had a substitute teacher, I anxiously waited for him to walk out with his class at pick-up. You see, my son has Down syndrome and is included in a general education classroom with the support of a paraprofessional. I know that many general education teachers have never taught a student with Down syndrome before, so I worry how substitutes will react to him being in the classroom all day.

As his substitute teacher appeared with my son’s hand in a tight grip, I saw the fear in her eyes and heard her say in an overwhelmed and worried tone, “Stay here, we have to find your mom.” This made me think she was not experienced teaching a student with Down syndrome and was perhaps fearful he would do something unexpected. He didn’t. He walked right over to his brother and me the same way he does every day.

When we got back to the car, I reflected on that moment and my heart filled with an overflowing amount of gratitude for his teacher. General education teachers that embrace inclusion are the biggest reason inclusive education works.

Dear Teacher,

Thank you for welcoming my son into your classroom with open arms.

Thank you for wanting to teach him even though his learning doesn’t fit into a standardized box.

Thank you for celebrating all of the amazing things he brings to your classroom that would otherwise not be there.

You, teacher, are setting the tone for all of your students to follow. It is you that makes an inclusive classroom work.

Thank you for having patience when he took longer to transition into the routine of your classroom and was slower to show you all that he is able to do. I imagine you hoped to hear your name from my son’s sweet lips much sooner than you did.

Thank you for never giving up hope and for having the patience and understanding that he will do all things in his own time.

Thank you for setting high expectations and expecting more from my son than many others who define him solely by his diagnosis. He is an individual first, thank you for taking the time to get to know every part of who he is. I noticed, on the first day of school, how you saw right past his diagnosis and into a world of endless possibilities for growth.

Thank you for caring about my son with your whole heart and for wanting to learn about how to best support his learning needs. I love seeing how excited you are when he meets his goals, both big and small.

Thank you for trusting that I know my son best and listening to my suggestions. I know it can’t be easy when you hear one thing from me and see another in your classroom. I appreciate your patience and unwavering belief in me as a mom.

Thank you for the hours you spend on the telephone with me.

Thank you for using a reassuring tone when you said, “It is going to be OK.” Secretly, I have moments that I doubt my husband and I are doing the “right” thing for our son and that everything is, in fact, going to be OK. Regardless of how many times I hear from my family or friends, it is you, teacher, that I so desperately need that reassurance from.

Please know that I see you working harder and putting in more hours than you would otherwise so that you can manage your inclusive classroom well. I never take your willingness to do extra for granted. I understand that students like my son require teachers to have extra flexibility, patience and problem-solving skills.

When I look at you, teacher, I see a multitasking ninja with a heart of gold.

General education teachers that embrace inclusion are opening so many doors, not only for the students being included, but for all students in their classrooms. Without teachers that know and embrace the value that all students bring to their classroom, inclusive education is not possible. When students with and without disabilities grow-up learning together, they become adults that work well together.

Thank you, teacher; you are changing lives and the future of the world!