Teachers once used inclusiveness in reference to all races in one school. As schools abandoned segregation, the meaning of inclusiveness changed.
Today, inclusiveness refers to the placement of physically, academically or mentally disabled students within regular educational classrooms.
With inclusion, special education and regular teachers work together in the classroom. The regular teacher teaches content to all students while the special education teacher makes necessary accommodations, including reading tests, taking notes, enlarging printed material and generally supporting special education students.
All students are exposed to different learning styles that they would not normally see if schools separated regular and special education students. Stronger students become role models. Students with disabilities feel accepted. All benefit from having two teachers in the classroom.
Teachers cannot always accommodate numerous ability levels at once, so some students become bored while others struggle. Higher-level students also may dislike being the example student and rebel by not working to their potential. Students with disabilities may be overwhelmed and misbehave out of frustration.