Inclusive Classroom Quotes

Seek diverse authors, not just diverse books. If you want to truly decolonize your library seek more than a Black/Brown face on the cover of the book.

I have determined from my work pastoring, preaching, and presiding in (Christian) congregations and teaching in college, university, seminary, and divinity school classrooms that people tend to hear neutral or inclusive language through a masculine cultural filter, so that they hear “the Spirit” as “He,” just as they hear “God” as “He,” no matter what I write or say, unless I specify “She.

A basic premise of restorative practices is that the increasingly inappropriate behavior in schools is a direct consequence of the overall loss of connectedness in our society. By fostering inclusion, community, accountability, responsibility, support, nurturing and cooperation, circles restore these qualities to a community or classroom and facilitate the development of character. As a consequence of fostering relationships and a sense of belonging, academic performance, too, flourishes.

Aune, B., Burt, B., & Gennaro, P. (2010). Behavior solutions for the inclusive classroom. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

Focusing on criminalization, rather than just incarceration, would enable greater understanding of how institutions impact girls and facilitate important shifts in our thinking and decision-making processes. We could see women and girls in their shared spaces with men and boys, and develop strategies that are responsive to the conditions that threaten the futures of female and male children. Being more inclusive would save us from a lot of head-scratching about why it is so hard to break harmful cycles, the negative patterns in student outcomes, and contact with the criminal legal system. Our nationwide culture of surveillance and criminalization is much more pervasive and life-threatening than even the largest prison. Its reach into our schools and our classrooms has reinforced latent ideas of Black inferiority and cast our girls as angry little women who are too self-absorbed and consumed by themselves and their faults to participate in school communities. We know it’s more complicated than that. A

The diversity discussion begins by asking questions about who’s missing from our communities, our classrooms, our boardrooms, and most importantly our churches. Next, we need to ask, where are they?

Sweep aside those parasites of subsidized classrooms, who live on the profits of the mind of others and proclaim that man needs no morality, no values, no code of behavior. They, who pose as scientists and claim that man is only an animal, do not grant him inclusion in the law of existence they have granted to the lowest of insects. They recognize that every living species has a way of survival demanded by its nature, they do not claim that a fish can live out of water or that a dog can live without its sense of smell—but man, they claim, the most complex of beings, man can survive in any way whatever, man has no identity, no nature, and there’s no practical reason why he cannot live with his means of survival destroyed, with his mind throttled and placed at the disposal of any orders they might care to issue.

My experience in classrooms and congregations demonstrates that while some reader/hearers read and hear God as gender-neutral or gender-inclusive, many read and hear “God” as male, as the polar opposite of “goddess” (which in their construction does not merit the capital G of “God”).

Engagement is more about what you can do for your students, and empowerment is about helping students to figure out what they can do for themselves. Empowerment is the ultimate goal of UDL.

Teachers are responsible for showing what an inclusive, caring community looks like, expressing confidence in the goal, and articulating how to make it work.

We can’t just push troubled students into classrooms where they won’t get the help they need and celebrate ourselves for being “inclusive.” The idea that all students with disabilities must be taught in the “least restrictive environment” ends up just becoming a way for school district bureaucrats to save money and congratulate themselves for being politically correct even as they do things to students that teachers know are wrong.

Happiness is the successful state of life, pain is an agent of death. Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. A morality that dares to tell you to find happiness in the renunciation of your happiness—to value the failure of your values—is an insolent negation of morality. A doctrine that gives you, as an ideal, the role of a sacrificial animal seeking slaughter on the altars of others, is giving you death as your standard. By the grace of reality and the nature of life, man—every man—is an end in himself, he exists for his own sake, and the achievement of his own happiness is his highest moral purpose. “But neither life nor happiness can be achieved by the pursuit of irrational whims. Just as man is free to attempt to survive in any random manner, but will perish unless he lives as his nature requires, so he is free to seek his happiness in any mindless fraud, but the torture of frustration is all he will find, unless he seeks the happiness proper to man. The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live. “Sweep aside those parasites of subsidized classrooms, who live on the profits of the mind of others and proclaim that man needs no morality, no values, no code of behavior. They, who pose as scientists and claim that man is only an animal, do not grant him inclusion in the law of existence they have granted to the lowest of insects. They recognize that every living species has a way of survival demanded by its nature, they do not claim that a fish can live out of water or that a dog can live without its sense of smell—but man, they claim, the most complex of beings, man can survive in any way whatever, man has no identity, no nature, and there’s no practical reason why he cannot live with his means of survival destroyed, with his mind throttled and placed at the disposal of any orders they might care to issue.

The pursuit of quality education requires a collective effort from governments, educators, parents, and communities, working together to create inclusive, equitable, and accessible learning environments.

When used thoughtfully and purposefully, technology can amplify the impact of teaching and learning, making education more engaging, accessible, and inclusive for all students.

Curriculum creation involves detailed planning and adaptation to meet the unique needs of each student, ensuring that the curriculum is relevant, effective, and inclusive.

In an inclusive classroom environment, every student feels valued, respected, and capable of reaching their full potential.

Rapid learning extends its impact to address learning gaps—disparities in knowledge and skills in students in the same classroom. Educators can employ rapid learning interventions to swiftly address these gaps, fostering a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Inclusive education principles advocate for learning environments that embrace and celebrate diversity and foster a sense of belonging and equity among all students.

Utilizing collaborative learning strategies creates an inclusive and dynamic classroom environment where students actively engage with course material, exchange ideas, and learn from one another, enhancing both academic achievement and interpersonal skills.

By integrating humanistic theories, inclusive education principles, and feminist pedagogy into transformative teaching practices, educators can create learning environments that honour the unique identities and experiences of every student, fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and social justice.

By incorporating humanistic, inclusive, and feminist pedagogical principles into transformative teaching practices, educators can create learning environments that prioritize student well-being, equity, and empowerment, fostering meaningful connections and transformative growth for all learners.