Inclusive Education.pdf

Liz Baile, Director of Student Services for Yellowknife Catholic Schools, has extensive experience in inclusive education. She has held various positions, including teacher, principal, and vice-principal, and has led initiatives with the NWT Department of Education. Baile coordinates inclusive schooling services, professional learning, and collaboration through school-based teams. She emphasizes student well-being, inclusion, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing.

Key issues in inclusive education in the NWT include:

1. Diverse Curriculum: Teachers bring their own perspectives, resulting in diverse application of curriculum.
2. Geography and Demographics: Small, isolated communities limit programs and specialists, making accommodation and support for diversity crucial.
3. Program Support Teacher: Each school has a program support teacher to collaborate with classroom teachers and develop strategies for diverse learners.
4. Professional Learning: Significant investments are made in teacher training, targeting unique challenges in the North.
5. Respecting Indigenous Culture: Schools prioritize acknowledging Indigenous values, languages, and ways of living.
6. Strengthening Self-determinism and Agency of Students: This is particularly important for Indigenous students due to histories of forced assimilation and intergenerational trauma.
7. Partnership with Families: Parent and family involvement is crucial, with a community/family liaison role created to address difficulties in accessing students' families.

Baile's approach to inclusive education focuses on student well-being, autonomy, and self-determinism. She emphasizes that success is about how students feel about their learning, rather than what they are learning. Baile also highlights the importance of teachers adapting instruction to support autonomous learning and providing strategies for teachers to successfully teach all students in their classrooms.