Every good school wants to be able to offer their educational services to as many students as possible. However, some students struggle with unique needs that make learning difficult, especially in a classroom environment. As an educator, here are a few ways that you can make your institution more accommodating.
Follow Disability Guidelines
Whether you’re trying to make room for children who can’t see, can’t hear, or having a learning disability, it’s important to follow the guidelines laid down by the organization that matches those students’ specific conditions. Only by following modern standards can you be sure that you’re offering the best care possible.
Many institutions satisfy themselves by relying on semi-yearly inspections to make sure that their school is up to standards. However, if you really want the students in your care to thrive, you’ll make sure that you’re constantly updating to the latest and best ways to accommodate those with extra needs.
Hire Additional Staff
One of the biggest mistakes that many academic leaders make is expecting normal staff to be able to make disability accommodations. Learning to care for those with educational disabilities is a career in and of itself; if you try to push this work onto teachers, you’ll quickly watch your doctorate-level educator turn into a normal untrained professional.
Start by having trained staff on-hand to assist directly with students who have learning disabilities. You’ll also want to have extra tutors, child care experts, and any other staff members who can reduce the workload and that your school’s budget can reasonably afford.
Be Patient and Compassionate
Students with learning and functional disabilities are still children and still need to be raised in a loving and respectful environment. It’s tempting to turn accommodation into a checklist of things that have been changed to help the child without actually paying attention to their individual personality or needs. That’s why the best advice that any educator can receive is to be patient and kind with every child who ends up in their classroom.
No matter what your guidebook says, take time to get to know each of your students individually. Ask the child or their parents about their unique needs. Be willing to adjust the pace on course materials, and generally maintain an air of flexibility and understanding. If you can master these elements, you should have no problem interacting with every student who comes your way.
Being an educator isn’t easy, but continuing to care about the success of your students will help guarantee that you succeed. No matter what skills a student starts out with, a good teacher will help them reach the next stage of growth.