Narratives of Inclusive Teaching : Stories of Becoming in the Field

Teachers are increasingly challenged by dilemmas of practice as they negotiate their commitments to equity for students from historically marginalized communities, including students with disabilities, against the demands of their school settings. This book seeks to understand the ways in which teachers' engagements with their schooling contexts evoke varied forms of inclusive practice. It narrates the experiences of seven novice teachers who entered the field deeply committed to inclusive practice. It documents their conflicts, joys and struggles within the collectivities in which they were embedded. In doing thus, the book discloses the many unpredictable trajectories of practice that encompass the complex work of teaching for inclusion.

Srikala Naraian is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University and Program Director of the Elementary Inclusive Education Program. She is the author of Teaching for Inclusion: Eight Principles for Effective and Equitable Practice.

Sarah L. Schlessinger is Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education Long Island University-Brooklyn and Program Coordinator of the Adolescent and Childhood Special Education Programs.