What It Really Means to Be an Inclusive Teacher
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it actually means to be an inclusive teacher.
Not the buzzword version. Not the poster-on-the-wall version. Not the version we say in meetings and nod our heads to.
I mean the real, in-your-classroom-every-day kind of inclusive.
Because here’s the truth:
Being an inclusive teacher isn’t about having the perfect classroom library.
And It’s not about saying all the right things all the time.
It’s about who you choose to be for every single kid who walks into your room.
I’m Rooting for ALL the Kids
Not just the easy kids.
Not just the high-achievers.
Not just the ones who come from families that think like me.
All of them.
That includes:
- The student whose parents don’t support LGBTQ+ communities
- The student who other teachers have warned you about
- The student growing up in a deeply religious household
- The student with a learning disability
- The student with physical challenges
- The student who feels different but doesn’t have the words for it yet
Because here’s what I believe at my core:
Kids deserve a teacher who sees them fully, not conditionally.
Inclusion Isn’t Selective
If we’re being honest, inclusion is easy when it’s comfortable.
It’s easy to support kids whose stories align with ours.
It’s easy to advocate when there’s no pushback.
It’s easy when everyone agrees.
But real inclusion?
Real inclusion shows up when it’s complicated.
It looks like:
- Treating every student with dignity, even when their home life looks different than yours
- Creating a classroom where students can exist without fear of judgment
- Holding space for differences without trying to “fix” them
- Loving kids without needing them (or their families) to agree with you
Because inclusion isn’t about agreement.
It’s about humanity.
Every Child Deserves to Feel Safe Here
When students walk into my classroom, I want them to feel one thing immediately:
You are safe here.
Safe to learn. Safe to exist. Safe to be exactly who you are.
That doesn’t mean we avoid hard conversations.
It doesn’t mean we ignore differences.
It means we lead with respect.
We lead with empathy.
We lead with curiosity instead of judgment.
And most importantly it means:
We lead with love.
This Is Why I Wrote My Book
A lot of what I’m sharing here is exactly why I wrote Becoming the Teacher I Needed.
Because after 20 years in the classroom, across general education and gifted settings, I’ve seen how hard this job really is.
I’ve lived:
- The burnout
- The pressure
- The moments where you wonder if you’re making any difference at all
And I’ve also seen the power of what happens when a teacher chooses to show up differently.
In Becoming the Teacher I Needed, I talk honestly about:
- The realities teachers are facing right now
- The weight we carry every day
- And how we can still choose to build classrooms where kids feel seen, safe, and valued
It’s not about being perfect.
It’s about being intentional.
Inclusion Is the Work
At the end of the day, being an inclusive teacher isn’t a title.
It’s a commitment.
A commitment to:
- See every child
- Respect every story
- Support every learner
- And believe in every kid
Because somewhere along the way, every one of us needed a teacher who chose to see us.
And now?
We get to be that teacher for someone else.
