Introduction
Inclusive education is whereby children and student, regardless of the limitations are given access quality, instructive and supportive education classes in their locales to help them not only develop but also acquire skills that will help them prosper in the future. However, schools and classrooms have a presumption that children and student with disabilities have the same level of competency as other students and children, which has scarpered efforts to develop case-specific instruction and intervention techniques and provisions of instructional equipment for students with disabilities (Park, Dimitrov & Park, 2018). The relegation of teachers in specialized education to this restrictive environment has been a cause for concern and has put physical, cognitive and emotional strains on teachers.
Problem statement
Teachers worldwide are faced with numerous challenges as they bid to ensure learners get the most out of the established educational systems, are well-equipped to face future challenges and can use their intellect to forge a bright future (Villa & Thousand, 2005). Among the pertinent challenges teachers meet are stress, inefficient teacher-student relationships, development of curricula for students with special needs and creating a collaborative learning environment which enhances learning support. Against this background, this paper explores the leading causes of stress for teachers in inclusive educations and practices that can be employed to mitigate stress among teachers.
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Dispositional mindfulness to reduce social, emotional and cognitive stress
As Becker, Gallagher & Whitaker (2017) noted, the student-teacher relationship influences student emotional and academic development in the future. The implication is that teachers need to enhance their dispositional mindfulness so that they can build cordial relationships with students, understand the specific need and offer quality and efficient services. However, this may be difficult in some cases due to the social and emotional demands that the current learning environment demands. Additionally, competitiveness in the education sector means that institutional learning levels have gone up ad this couples with the inclusion of students with severe psychological problems can be exhausting. These are some of the reasons why teachers sometimes feel depressed or discouraged.
It is also important to note that in most curricula, an emphasis is placed on content and pedagogy while little effort is put on social, emotional and cognitive needs on teachers. Acquiring the skill of mindfulness, which is the ability to remain focused even in doubting circumstances can help teachers feel relaxed and motivated. This, in turn, enhances their ability to teach since they are being less prone to conflict, can relate well with students, and these are key indicators of job satisfaction. There are various techniques that can be employed to this end such as developing open awareness of today’s classroom environment, practicing kindness and encouraging student also to become mindful. This initiates the development of a mindful presence whereby teachers develop nonjudgmental awareness and become focused on student needs. The current educational demands also mean that teachers often bear the burden of huge expectations. The implication is that most teachers often focus on what is required of them and forget that student needs are more important. It is impossible for every classroom to be similar and the educational guidelines which also place expectations on teachers need to be taken as foundations for success rather than the actual requirements. Maintaining a perception that one needs to meet certain expectation can lead to judgmental attitudes and perceptions and the externalization of these effects can lower mindfulness and promote temperament and conflict
Educating pre-school learners
Teachers also have problems when educating pre-school learners. In other classrooms, there are also students who are prone to misbehaving either due to development stage or numerous other factors. The student-teacher compatibility or index of teaching stress is a tool used to examine the extent to which capabilities and behavior of students are similar to the demands and behavioral expectations of the teacher. Although this element is often challenging to operationalize and quantify, it is one of the important tools that can be used to conceptualize teaching stress due to interactions or relationships with students and preschool learners. As globalization and technology proliferate around the globe, preschool learners and students are starting to feel the effects of these new pressures. In the case of preschool leaners, the effects are more pronounced, and manifestation and stress of anxiety have been observed to occur. These manifestations are shown in their behavioral cues such as increased cases of defiance, talking back, temper outbursts and uncooperativeness. In some extreme cases, children also portray aggressive behavior such as cruelty and engagement in physical fights.
External pressures that may cause anxiety among preschool learners include environmental dangers, overexposure to media, problems in the family and tension at school. Teachers, therefore, need to learn about preventative techniques and coping skill that can be relayed to children so that they can deal with stress calmly. Additionally, teachers need to understand how learners project stress so that they can identify symptoms of anxiety early on and take preventative measure to prevent the development of negative behavioral patterns. The issue of quality is also a pertinent issue, especially if one was to consider gaps in resources between publicly funded and private ECE centers. Classroom quality is dependent on process and structural quality which is in turn determined by the available resources. Pilate et al., (2016) explored the concept of quality be comparing ECE classrooms and resources available in low-income and high-income households.
The researchers also noted that there were significant differences both in the classroom process and instructional quality which is a major cause for concern in ECE and special education needs. Teachers understand and acknowledge the value of early childhood experiences as building integral aspects for building strong moral, social and academic foundations. However, early childhood education gaps hamper the ability of children to develop knowledge and skills necessary for success (Park, Dimitrov & Park, 2018). Moreover, there are diverse early childhood settings, which means that need skill, training and experience to help children exploit their opportunities and capabilities and these variations may lead to divergent perceptions on how fragmented services in early childhood settings impact children. The concerns have percolated to the education departments, learning centers and the different hypothesis on classroom settings have made it difficult for teachers to develop standard structural frameworks for use across multiple settings.
Educating children with special needs
The inclusion of children, especially those with special needs in early childhood education remains a pertinent issue among teachers. In most cases, teachers have modest attitudes, but this is because most teachers do not have adequate training in special education. It is important to note that research shows that experiences are a key determiner of teachers attitudes and as such lack of training and experience in specialized education means that teachers do not have the needed skills of characteristics required in the area (Lee et al., 2015). As the name suggests, special education requires specialized and unique skills since it includes different instructional and guidance methods, unique materials, teachers’ investment in learning aids and equipment to help children learn and cope even with the learning disabilities. In other cases, remedial teaching to enhance the skill and abilities of these students have proved helpful. The implication is that numerous techniques are used in specialized training such as repetitive learning or explanation which means that teachers have to devote more time and put more effort into the education process. One on one remediation is also required while other techniques such as phonics instruction and reading out loud are also practices that teachers use.
The techniques or tools used by teachers are dependent on the child’s disability, and they include one on one instructional sessions, tests to enhance the child’s ability to solve problems, and collaboration through group sessions for motivation and instilling uniformity in the classroom. This show that specialized training is a necessary tool for enhancing inclusion. Moreover, specific skill in some specialized regions allows the teacher to be familiar with the needs and capabilities of individual children (Wood, 2015). Although there are no standard intervention strategies that teachers can use in regards to special education, acquiring the skills is a necessity for open awareness and preparedness in the field of early childhood development (ECD).
This shows why teachers might develop stress in ECE. Children with disabilities require specialized education which means that teachers have to acquire a wide range of skill sets necessary in the process. Additionally, teachers need to work closely with parents to ensure that both parties are in unison on the individual needs and abilities of the child. Moreover, it is only gauging the child’s progress can teachers develop apt practices and techniques that can be used both at home and in the classroom and this requires additional investment for equipment and time investment by the teacher in developing intervention strategies. All these factors, coupled with the need to instill moral uprightness, to enhance social and academic development may cause emotional and psychological strain among teachers.
Collaboration as a tool for classroom inclusion
Cooperation and communication are key elements necessary to enhance integration in early childhood education. Communication on effective practice skills and techniques means that teachers need to develop professional relationships to determine which methods and skills help in meeting the learning outcomes. These techniques differ, and for instance, in Ireland, additional learning resources are offered through the Learning Support Teachers (LST) and Resource Teacher (RT) (Mulholland & O'Connor, 2016). They offer support in classroom-based approaches and are examples of effective strategies to promote inclusion that have redeveloped and standardized through collaboration.
In this regard, it is important to explore the perceptions and experiences among teachers on practices such as a Classroom Teacher (CTs), Resource Teacher (RT) and Learning Support Teachers (LST). Studies show that although teachers acknowledge that collaboration and use of these additional support tools are helpful in ECE and specialized training of student with disabilities, inefficient implementation policies are still a challenge in most institutions. Constraints on planning coupled with limited professional experience and practice in the area mean that frameworks are largely inspiration and teachers have to make do with the currently available resources. The main cause of stress is that the teacher has high values regarding equality of opportunity, non-discrimination and many more and failure to deliver these expectations is undoubtedly overwhelming. Education is the pillar of the numerous societies worldwide and parents and teachers need to cater for the learning and support resources for students with disabilities. Contrastingly, the reactionary process by institutions that govern education has been lacking or gradual. The right-based principle of inclusive policy has illuminated of the shifting and distinct differences in special education but sufficient resource provisions have remained elusive. Education of Persons with Special Education needs (ESPEN) Act was a step forward in developing principles and frameworks for inclusivity for children with special education needs, but reinforcement and implementation process have not been fully realized (Mulholland & O'Connor, 2016).
Conclusion
Stress among teachers affects both the personal and professional life, and it is mainly caused by exhaustion, overworking, high-stakes exams and the demanding nature of the current education environment. Dispositional mindfulness, educating children with special needs and preschool children are compelling grounds for stress among teachers stress in regards to inclusivity. Research on the basis for inclusive education shows that there is willpower to develop policies that enhance inclusivity. It is important for teachers and the society at large to embrace inclusivity and understand that understand the value of academic gains and this can only happen by developing positive attitudes which will ensure that teachers have additional support and learning resources to meet expectations and demands.
References
Becker, B. D., Gallagher, K. C., & Whitaker, R. C. (2017). Teachers' dispositional mindfulness and the quality of their relationships with children in Head Start classrooms. Journal of school psychology , 65 , 40-53.
Lee, F. L. M., Yeung, A. S., Tracey, D., & Barker, K. (2015). The inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood education: What teacher characteristics matter? Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(2), 79-88.
Mulholland, M., & O'Connor, U. (2016). Collaborative classroom practice for inclusion: perspectives of classroom teachers and learning support/resource teachers. International journal of inclusive education , 20 (10), 1070-1083
Park, M. H., Dimitrov, D. M., & Park, D. Y. (2018). Effects of background variables of early childhood teachers on their concerns about inclusion: the mediation role of confidence in teaching. Journal of Research in Childhood Education , 32 (2), 165-180.
Pelatti, C. Y., Dynia, J. M., Logan, J. A., Justice, L. M., & Kaderavek, J. (2016). Examining quality in two preschool settings: Publicly funded early childhood education and inclusive early childhood education classrooms. In the Child & Youth Care Forum (Vol. 45, No. 6, pp. 829-849).
Villa, R. A., & Thousand, J. S. (Eds.). (2005). Creating an inclusive school . Association for Supervision and Early Childhood Development
Wood, R. (2015). To be cared for and to care: Understanding theoretical conceptions of care as a framework for useful inclusion in early childhood education and care. Child Care in Practice , 21 (3), 256-265.
