ABSTRACT
“Discovering Concerns and Fears: Supporting General Education Teachers” is a chapter that confronts the fear and resistance faced by many general education teachers when tasked to include students with special needs in their classrooms. The narrator, a learning support teacher, shares experiences, insights, and tools to help teachers, parents, and therapists navigate inclusion. The chapter recounts the author’s personal journey and encounters, such as her relationship with Zeke, a fourth-grade student with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy, highlighting the misconceptions and biases that can permeate classrooms. The chapter underlines the systemic lack of adequate training for teachers in inclusive education and advocates for a collective shift toward an inclusive belief system within schools. The author proposes solutions such as providing teachers with an IEP-at-a-glance, encouraging co-planning, promoting Universal Design for Learning, and fostering empathy and understanding among educators. The chapter is a call to action to create an education system where every learner can thrive.
