Waller ISD PE Engages All Students
The Waller ISD (WISD) Physical Education (PE) Department is working to make PE more inclusive. With a diverse student body, teachers continuously adapt instruction to keep all students involved. In a training titled Making Inclusion Work in the General Education PE Class, PE teachers and paraprofessionals who work with students with disabilities, were educated on how to create an inclusive environment in the gym. With the use of accommodations and modifications, teachers can customize activities so students with disabilities can be a part of the fun of PE.
“PE teachers are one of the few who work with every student that walks through the halls,” WISD Adapted PE Teacher Sharron Carpenter said. “This training is important for them because they have a major impact.”
A portion of the training was a disability simulation to provide participants a better understanding of their special education students. They attempted to do general PE activities while experiencing sensory, visual, physical, auditory, and learning impairments. While not an exact replica, this allowed teachers to work together to find adaptations that help all students experience PE.
“This is better than simply sitting and hearing a presentation,” one teacher said. “This active approach allows us a chance to understand our students’ experiences and find ways to assist and not exclude them.”