REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ONE: INCLUSION IMPLEMENTATION 1
Reflective Journal One: Inclusion Implementation
Deborah Schloemer-Frazer
Liberty University
REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ONE: INCLUSION IMPLEMENTATION 2
Reflective Journal One: Inclusion Implementation
When a group of people are already in disagreement, they often need their perspective to
be heard, especially in the dynamics of a school setting. Schools, whether small or big, present
leadership complexities and challenges that “are far from small or simple” (Harvey et al., 2013,
p. 194). Within a school system, there are many levels of leaders and others who want to help
students but would benefit from collaborating on aligning their work.
In the scenario of tension between principals and their faculty's disagreement around an
inclusive co-teaching model, an authoritarian leadership model would not be the best sole rollout
strategy. When making a big decision that affects students' learning and teachers' teaching
practices and classroom management, it is important to follow up with guiding questions to learn
how to support staff through an authoritarian leadership decision and explain the benefits behind
it. It would be beneficial for the superintendent to first meet with their principals to discuss
authoritarian decisions. One of the five major conclusions of a principal’s work includes
“diagnosing his or her particular school’s needs and, given the resources and talents available,
deciding how to meet them” (Harvey et al., 2013, p. 194). This may be done best in a smaller
setting, such as a small group with a team of teachers with leadership characteristics. The
principals should also diagnose the reasons for the disagreement so they can use the resources
and talents in the school to meet teachers’ needs. For example, it is common for teachers to
understand the benefits of inclusion and co-teaching but find it difficult to implement because of
its complexities (Williams-Brown & Hodkinson, 2021).
To ensure that principals provide teachers with the support they need to implement
inclusion and co-teaching to meet student needs adequately, a supportive system for teachers to
be heard, mentored, and motivated should be implemented. Coley (2006) discussed how
REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ONE: INCLUSION IMPLEMENTATION 3
beneficial it can be for fellow teachers to develop an Instructional Council. A team of teachers
brought on to discuss the details and establish guidelines can serve as leaders from within to
guide other teachers and establish buy-in. Matthew 9:35 (English Standard Bible, 2001) explains
how Jesus' great leadership empowered his people by modeling and instructing, "He modeled for
His disciples how to heal hurting people—spiritually, emotionally, and physically" (Coley,
2006).
Coley (2006) summarizes John Maxwell's (1995) Five Steps for Developing the Leaders
Around You: Model, Mentor, Monitor, Motivate, Multiply. As a Principal, it is difficult to model
classroom practices, especially practices so complex and ever-changing as co-teaching in an
inclusive model. Although if a principal were to partner with and support a team or Instructional
Council, teachers would have Mentors to model and even motivate them through the new
practice-changing decision. Through mentoring, collaborating with your leaders at all levels, and
being aware of research-based practices and your teams’ needs, dynamics can be complex but
more successful.
REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ONE: INCLUSION IMPLEMENTATION 4
References
Coley, K. S. (2006). The Helmsman: Leading with courage and wisdom. Colorado Springs, CO:
Purposeful Design. ISBN: 9781583310731
English Standard Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
Harvey, J., Cambron-McCabe, N., Cunningham, L. L., & Koff, R. H. (2013). The
superintendent’s fieldbook: A guide for leaders of learning (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin.
Williams-Brown, Z., & Hodkinson, A. (2021). 'What is considered good for everyone may not
be good for children with special educational needs and disabilities': Teacher's
perspectives on inclusion in england. Education 3-13, 49(6), 688-702.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2020.1772845
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