Teachers and special educators Interventions

  In New Zealand, “Article 2 of United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereafter “UNCORC”) points to schools’ responsibilities to provide children and young people with protection from discrimination” (MacArthur, 2012, p.7). 

Image is from <http://helenabaillio.wordpress.com/2010/03/page/3/>

However, teachers often do not provide any support and intervention, even though they can easily notice the isolation or bullying amongst students with physical disabilities (MacArthur et al., 2007).

  “Teachers and special educators sometimes serve as “first responders” when bullying occurs in the classroom" (Walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, p.54). Therefore, they should always be observant of students' behaviour, mood and particularly some students who are at risk for being bullied or bully.

Image from <http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/50-best-blogs-for-future-teachers.html>

If teacher find out some problems with bullying in a class, he/she should remain calm, separate bully and victim and made an appointment for teacher-parent conference as soon as possible. 



  In order to prevent or resolve the issues of bullying in a class, teacher should encourage students' social experiences and be aware that some teacher or adult intervention and support is necessary (MacArthur, 2012).


  Organizing students into small groups or seating students with physical disabilities with pro-social students are very effective classroom management skills to enhance every students' (especially disabled students') social skills and broad their perspectives of human diversity. 


"Where teachers demonstrated an awareness of students’ social experiences, and modelled a valuing of diversity in this way, we observed other students interacting with, and taking an interest in their disabled peers" (MacArthur, 2012, p.7).