WE ARE NOT ALONE!
Misa and I had the pleasure of being able to attend Shaping Outcomes Byron Bay’s launch party for a wonderful Inclusion Resource for Preschool centres. It was great to see how another organisation is approaching inclusion and also how excited and willing professional educators are to start tackling such a major problem affecting our children.
Zoe Cluff, the mastermind behind Inclusion Success and the head of Shaping Outcomes, describes the resource as:
“a one stop resource to understand the essential elements of inclusion research- in a practical application. Through self-guided navigation, educator’s have access to key strategies, checklists and over 3 hours of inclusion practices in action.”
The success of this resource is further proof that there is a lack of knowledge in preschools and primary schools about best practices when it comes to inclusion. One statement Zoe made during her speech really stuck with me.
It is not that teachers do not want to include all students, most are doing everything in their power to be inclusive of children with additional needs, however they simply do not possess the knowledge or expertise to create a truly inclusive environment.
The Inclusion Success Resource will give educators that knowledge- and Fergus & Delilah, the book, will give educators a tool for teaching children about inclusion using children’s language.
After speaking about Inclusion Success, Zoe was kind enough to share with the audience Fergus & Delilah; the inspiration behind, the making of, and excerpts from the final book. Misa and I stood at the front of the room, slightly embarrassed (because who likes standing in front of a whole room of people), extremely proud, but mostly in awe of the reception it was receiving. We have been so focused on the creation of the book it was so nice to stand back and see what it was we have actually created.
So thank you Zoe for the amazing resource, that will help educators create inclusive learning environments for children with disabilities and thank you for helping us see what our book means to the wider community.
