Primary school children in classroom

Welcome to inclusionED

inclusionED is a professional learning platform dedicated to fostering inclusive school communities. Co-designed with educators, inclusionED offers evidence-based practices and resources for teachers and school leadership that can be applied in the classroom and to support diverse learners across all year levels.

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Teaching practice categories

Teaching practices

Explore the teaching practices below to see how they can help you to deliver student outcomes and meet your professional learning needs.

Latest releases

Classroom management

Classroom management

Effective classroom management is essential in creating positive learning environment for all students with minimal disruptive behaviours. Research suggests that students with diverse learning needs, including students on the autism spectrum, benefit from structured teaching and environments that cater to their sensory needs. The practices in these series provides teachers with tools and techniques create calmer classrooms that are accessible and engaging to diverse learners.

Child reads a visual schedule
Use visual schedules
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • transition smoothly
  • understand expectations
  • learn new concepts
A row of labelled boxes with books
Organise your classroom
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • access all classroom areas
  • transition smoothly
Teacher talking to group of children
Establish classroom rules
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • know what is expected
  • understand consequences

Sensory considerations

Sensory considerations

Many students, including students on the autism spectrum, have specific sensory considerations and needs that teachers need to consider to create positive learning environments. Supporting these needs can make learning environments that are more accessible for more learners, with better acoustics to enable clear communication between students and teachers.

 

Boy with headphones
Meet students' sensory needs
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • engage in tasks
  • self-regulate
Teacher working with students via computer
Understanding and supporting comprehension
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • engage in learning
bean bags in a class room
Provide a safe calm space for students
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • learn self-regulation
  • be less disruptive in class

Career and self-discovery

Career and self-discovery

Developing a career or training pathway after school often requires thinking about how these prospects link with personal strengths and interests. Supporting students to discover these strengths and interests will give them a solid foundation for their career journey. These career and self-discovery practices focus on how to use the myWAY Employability platform, explore career interests and strengths, and identify and plan for post-school pathways.

Welcome sign
Introduction to myWAY Employability
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • explore a range of careers
  • use myWAY Employability
Person looking down the road
Self-discovery
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • identify work-related strengths
  • discover career interests
  • identify workplace preferences
Person standing with 3 arrows on the ground
Work discovery
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • discover training pathways
  • explore work experience

Adjustments and scaffolds

Adjustments and scaffolds

Inclusive teaching often requires adjustments and scaffolds to be implemented to meet the needs of every learner. Small changes can support a student to understand the learning content. Adjustments and scaffolds may also reduce anxiety and behavioural concerns. These adjustments and scaffolds practices focus on strategies that can support students with transitions, writing, and general learning behaviour.

A person writing a checklist in a notebook
Use visual self-management tools
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 12
Helps students to
  • build greater independence
  • maintain on-task behaviour
Teacher working with students via computer
Understanding and supporting comprehension
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • engage in learning
A teacher standing in front of a screen in a classroom
Use instructional sequences
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 12
Helps students to
  • transition smoothly
  • know what to expect

Social/emotional wellbeing

Social/emotional wellbeing

The social and emotional wellbeing of students can strongly impact learning outcomes. Many diverse learners can find social activities challenging. These social and emotional wellbeing practices focus on social skill development, regulating emotions, and coping strategies for an overwhelmed state.

Teacher standing while young students are at desks
Teach self-regulation
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool to Year 2
Helps students to
  • regulate their feelings
  • regulate their behaviour
Teacher working with student
Provide feedback on learning & behaviour
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool to Year 2
Helps students to
  • stay motivated
  • remain on-task for longer
  • feel valued
Teacher sticking 'help me' sign onto whiteboard
Model emotional literacy
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool to Year 2
Helps students to
  • identify and respond to emotions
  • regulate emotions

School connectedness

School connectedness

Students who feel a greater sense of  school connectedness experience increased self-esteem, motivation and academic achievement. Fostering school connectedness also develops an inclusive learning environment. These school connectedness practices focus on developing home-school relations, collaborative partnerships, and establishing trust through communication.

Teacher talking to parent
Share information through home–school communication
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool – Year 12
Helps students to
  • be supported across settings
boy smiling with backpack
Foster school connectedness using the WISE model
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 12
Helps students to
  • increase self-esteem
  • improve resilience
  • increase school connectedness
Students playing giant chess
Strengthen school belonging and emotional trust
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • feel connected
  • feel valued

Behavioural support

Behavioural support

Unexpected behaviours are often the first sign that students are experiencing emotional overwhelm. While adjustments and scaffolds put in place can lessen the possibility of these behaviours, these moments can also be a great learning experience if addressed sensitively. These behavioural support practices focus on how to coach students through these experiences, and how teachers can respond constructively.

Children sitting next to each other
Respond constructively to student behaviour
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • build self-esteem
  • stay on task
A teacher and a student talking
Respond constructively to student behaviour (Secondary)
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • build self-esteem
  • stay on task
Three children sitting together playing with fidget toys
Supporting students to detect their own emotions from body clues
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Foundation to Year 6
Helps students to
  • recognise body clues
  • identify emotions

Whole-of-school strategies

Whole-of-school strategies

School leaders understand that an inclusive school culture requires clear communication, respect, openness, fairness, and accountability. These strategies support a whole-school approach to developing and maintaining an inclusive culture that will benefit your entire school community.

Students working together using iPad
Using UDL in planning
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool – Year 12
Helps students to
  • engage in learning
  • improve learning outcomes
Teacher working with student
Working in partnership: Relationships, shared goals and communication
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool – Year 12
Helps students to
  • participate in inclusive culture
  • feel supported
Teacher, support partner and parent talking
Establish collaborative partnerships - Collaborative Partnerships in Action
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Preschool – Year 12
Helps students to
  • feel connected
  • develop positive relationships

Robotics

Robotics

Students assemble robotic LEGO vehicles
Communicate effectively: Robotics social clubs
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • collaborate
  • express ideas
Students work as a group to solve problems
Negotiate, resolve conflicts: Robotics social clubs
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • suggest solutions
  • compromise
Students assemble a walking LEGO robot
Improve teamwork skills: Robotics social clubs
TEACHING PRACTICE
For student years
Years 7 to 12
Helps students to
  • collaborate
  • express ideas
  • compromise

Whole-of-school strategies

Secondary School

Primary School

Early Childhood