"Citizenship in Schools" - Reflection

Late Reflection:

Ever since we discussed this article in class, the topic on integration in schools has been coming up a lot lately. In fact, just yesterday, a family friend told me she was going to let me borrow this film called "Including Samuel." She said it is a documentary of a parent who is trying to raise his son, who has severe disabilities, and trying to get him the education he deserves by bringing him into a regular classroom. I'm really interested in it from what she said about it and I can't wait until she brings it over for me to watch it.
It's really hard to believe, though, that there are in fact some schools out there that are fully integrated. Sure, having a classroom filled with children of all different levels with all different abilities (and disabilities) is what we all think of as the right thing to do, but it also seems scary to me. A classroom like that is just completely out of the ordinary from what we, or at least I, know. All of my life I have learned with peers that are just like me. I never had the opportunity to learn in a classroom with a physically or mentally disabled student. I never had the chance to watch how other teachers go about teaching a classroom like that and learn how to handle different problems that would arise in certain situations. Of course, I agree that integration is a good and positive thing for both the teachers and the students. It's just definitely an idea I have to get used to through observation and a lot of practice before being sent by myself.
Integrated classrooms are not only good for the students with disabilities, but also the "well-abeled" students as well. Without the opportunity to be in a classroom with someone with special needs, children would just see them as different and want to stay away from them. But being with these students with disabilities all the time throughout the entire school day changes that perspective and lets the students know that they are all equal.
This is a trailer I found for the documentary "Including Samuel".