Explore strategies to create inclusive classrooms

Overview

How do you approach student diversity as a teacher? How do you create supportive and inclusive learning environments? How do you manage behaviour in the classroom, with the diverse range of needs that have to be addressed?

Academics, Experts and Health Professionals will share their knowledge and provide practical strategies for educators to implement in the classroom at this two day Symposium.

This conference will focus on:

• ADHD

• The Spectrums

• Behaviour Management

• Classroom Management

• Mental Health

• Anxiety

• Inclusive Classrooms

The Symposium will bring educators together with the common goal of working towards making classrooms diverse and inclusive for all students. The success and wellbeing for all students through each stage of learning is a priority.

Target Audience

This conference is best suited to all educators including diverse learning leaders, teachers and support staff as well as classroom and specialist teachers.

Tickets

Tickets include arrival tea/coffee, morning tea, buffet lunch and a Certificate of Attendance (mapped to APST).

Speaker: Kate Foster, Author and Speaker

Thrive Vs Survive: Neurodivergent Students and the Human Perspective

In this insightful panel discussion, Kate Foster will talk candidly with other neurodivergent people about what it really means to be a neurodivergent person in the modern world and what school life looks like for neurodivergent students. The audience will leave armed with an inside perspective only neurodivergent people themselves can provide, along with practical ideas and strategies to assist all staff members in helping their students thrive rather than simply survive their school years. A detailed list of resources will be provided to all audience members.

Speaker: Michelle Ralston, Lecturer, Avondale University

Inclusive classrooms

Universal Design for Learning and implementing reasonable adjustments for students with disability makes a positive difference to outcomes for students and teachers. This presentation will provide a framework to plan for reasonable adjustments in the mainstream classroom. Multiple examples of effective practice will equip participants to remove barriers and provide adjustments that ensure student/s with disability have choices, opportunities and learning experiences on the same basis as a student without disability so they can participate in education and training, achieve learning outcomes and develop independence.

Speaker: Dr Nattalia Godbold, Science and Technologies Teacher, The Lakes College

Students as partners in the curriculum: leveraging student voice to create inclusive classrooms

Offering student choice and voice is an increasing approach to inclusivity in education (Morris et al., 2019; Tai et al., 2021; Nieminen, 2021; Nieminen & Tuohilampi, 2017). Student voice in teaching and assessment facilitates belonging and increases motivation (Dickson, 2018). This is because students actively participate in co-producing their education, where they can make decisions about how they engage with and demonstrate their knowledge. In this presentation, I will share research conducted in a Secondary school in Queensland that explores student voice and choice in the curriculum. The rationale for this session is to share anecdotal evidence and research to encourage examination of and reflection on pedagogical choices within secondary school classrooms, so that the ethos of student voice and choice in curriculum and assessment creates more inclusive classrooms.

Speaker: Melissa Torres, Senior Occupational Therapist & Emily Rendell, Senior Physiotherapist & Clinical Placement Officer, Mancel College

Building Inclusive Classrooms through Neuroaffirming Strategies and Communication Supports for Diverse Learners

Supporting students with diverse learning needs requires adaptive strategies and innovative approaches in educational settings. This presentation will outline our school's approach to supporting students with diverse needs including ADHD, autism, and mental health conditions, through a neuro-affirming approach focused on interoception, as well as our efforts to integrate Key Word Sign (KWS) as a tool to support communication across the school community.

In the first segment, we introduce our interoception-based framework, which prioritises students' self-awareness and emotional regulation. We will provide practical strategies for teachers and educators to adopt interoception-based engagement methods, create student profiles, and incorporate KWS into their classrooms, promoting a personalised and inclusive learning experience.

Participants will leave with actionable insights into these evidence-based practices, equipping them to support each student's unique journey towards

Speaker: Annie Khoury, Teacher, Matthew Flinders Anglican College

Literacy Instruction for Struggling Readers

Educators will explore evidence-based strategies for supporting struggling readers, including those with dyslexia. Participants will learn how to identify key characteristics of struggling readers and implement structured literacy approaches based on the Science of Reading that integrate phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension. The session will focus on systematic, cumulative, and explicit teaching methods, incorporating multi-sensory techniques to enhance engagement and retention. Educators will gain practical tools to design individualised interventions, fostering reading fluency and comprehension for diverse learners. This session equips educators with actionable strategies to empower students in becoming confident, proficient readers.