{The ABC’s of Inclusion} M is to Make Mistakes



{The ABC's of Inclusion} M is to Make Mistakes; Removing the Stumbling Block

Making mistakes is a necessary part of learning.

A favorite concept:

FAIL First Attempt in Learning; Removing the Stumbling Block


It is also significant that we recognize the mistakes we make. Read: Ten Mistakes Even Good Educators Make

Some Communities Just Get Inclusion



Sci Tech; Removing the Stumbling Block

Some communities just get it.

They get that inclusion a mindset; a way of thinking about how we treat one another, ensuring that everyone has a place. These communities understand that inclusion is who we are and who we want to be.

I have been fortunate to know and work in a few such communities, and what’s most remarkable is that there isn’t a lot of fanfare or bragging. Rather, inclusivity is simply and seamlessly apart of the vision, woven into the fabric of conversations, planning and programs. Trust me; these are places you want to be.

{The ABC’s of Inclusion} L is to Laugh Often


{The ABC's of Inclusion} L is to Laugh Often; Removing the Stumbling Block

Inclusion is hard work. To find our balance we need to laugh. Often. 

The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed. ~Bennett Cerf

If love is the treasure, laughter is the key. ~ Yakov Smirnoff

{The ABC’s of Inclusion} K is to Keep Faith




Many parents, when they learn of their child’s disability, need to grieve…not for the child, but for the idea of what they thought parenting would be. They must process through the grief of what they may not be able to have, while coming to terms with the new reality of what they can have. This is not easy.

Shouldn’t supporting families through such challenges be the very nature of the work of a religious community? 

I think that many educators consider grief counseling to be the work of clergy. Too often we compartmentalize our congregant’s needs into “clergy stuff’ and “school stuff”. But when a child with special needs significantly struggles in religious school, parents can be thrown back into the grief cycle, this time wondering if they will have to give up on their idea of bar/bat mitzvah (not to mention Confirmation, Jewish marriage or many other significant Jewish life cycle events). 

How, in the midst of all of this, is anyone expected to keep faith?

Books That Teach Kids and Teens about Disabilities


What are you reading?

Books that teach kids and teens about disabilities; Removing the Stumbling Block

If you are anything like me, you eagerly await the summer months to finally make a sizable dent in that pile of books adorning your nightstand. My summer reading list typically includes a mix of young adult novels, professional books, and a healthy handful of books for fun.

I really love to read, but as an Educator and a parent, reading more than one or two books a month throughout the school year is a challenge. Since I typically begin to put books aside for summer throughout the late Winter & Spring, I find myself drawn to articles splayed across the internet that proclaim, “Best Summer Reading Books for Your Middle Schooler” or “Ten Must Read Books in 2016” or even “Perfect Summer Reading Lists for All Ages.” And while I do typically find some wonderful gems this way, I have also realized that something is missing. The lists I love lack an important category: “Books That Teach Kids and Teens about Disabilities”.

{The ABC’s of Inclusion} J is to Judge Fairly



The ABC's of Inclusion, J is to Judge Fairly; Removing the Stumbling Block

To have a conversation about judging fairly in relation to inclusion, there are a number of directions that we might go. But I feel pretty confident that I’ve covered a number of them with E is to Expect Competence and in posts like We Judge One Another.

When I chose to add “Judge Fairly” to The ABC’s of Inclusion I was thinking most significantly about those who are advocates of inclusion and work tirelessly toward making our schools, communities and world a more inclusive place.

But there is one aspect of inclusion advocacy that I have always found challenging. Ostensibly we are all on the same team, right? We all want to foster greater inclusivity in our schools, workplaces, etc; and yet, not all of these advocates see eye to eye.

In fact, I have frequently been witness to advocates putting down the efforts of others because they are not “inclusive enough”. There are those advocates who feel so strongly that inclusion is an all-or-nothing proposition that they believe it is warranted or even appropriate to criticize those who are aren’t up to their standards.

This is an extremely dangerous proposition.

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