Inclusion in practice: humanising pedagogy for immigrant children with and without disabilities

Contemporary early childhood classrooms in the United States are becoming even more diverse with increasing cultural, linguistic, and developmental complexity. Given the movement toward implementing universal early education and care and the changes in educational policy toward inclusive education, early childhood classrooms have become important sites for inclusion of diverse young children with and without disabilities. However, it is not uncommon to witness exclusionary practices that marginalize young children, especially those with immigrant backgrounds. Situated in a prekindergarten classroom in New York City, this study aims to counter common narratives in exclusionary practices that dehumanizes young children on the margins and to build evidence of inclusive practice from teachers' lived experiences in the classroom. Grounded in Freire's notion of humanization and framed by Salazar's tenets of humanizing pedagogy, this study highlights one immigrant teacher's perspective and her inclusive practice of humanization for immigrant students with and without disabilities. Through qualitative research methods, this study presents an emic view of incidences in her classroom that illuminate the meaning of inclusion and the critical role of the teacher as a mediator, facilitator, and visionary worker. Implications for future research and teacher education are discussed.