Love Is a Classroom: Stories of Inclusion

More Than an Interpreter
In fourth episode of the second series of 'Love is a Classroom: Stories of Inclusion,' the focus is on Wendy Bowman, a sign language interpreter with over 30 years of experience. In the episode, she shares her perspective on Deaf culture, education, and the essential role of interpreters. Wendy discusses the challenges and successes of the inclusion of deaf children in general education settings, emphasizing the need for the right resources and support. She also highlights the impact of inclusion on both deaf and hearing students, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual understanding. The episode concludes with a reflection on the broader implications for the education system and a call to action for better support and advocacy for children with disabilities.
00:00 Introduction to Inclusive Education
00:33 Navee's Journey and the Power of Inclusion
01:25 Exploring Deaf Culture and Education with Wendy Bowman
02:49 Challenges and Triumphs in Deaf Education
04:10 The Importance of Early Language Development
08:20 Navigating Public and Deaf School Systems
19:11 Building Relationships and Inclusion in the Classroom
26:57 Concluding Thoughts and Future Considerations
 
Wendy Bowman: Wendybowman18@gmail.com
If you have a story you want to share, go to Loveisaclassroom.com/contact
 
Cover art by Josie Filippelli https://www.linkedin.com/in/josie-filippelli/
 

This episode of 'Love is a Classroom: Stories of Inclusion' delves into the life of Navee, a 7-year-old deaf child, and her experiences in an inclusive setting. The show features insightful discussions with Wendy and Brooke about the cultural challenges of being a hearing family with a deaf child. They emphasize the distinct differences between English and American Sign Language (ASL), the importance of appropriate communication, and the need for unconditional inclusion. The episode also touches on the significance of creating accessible social experiences and the impact of cultural exposure on Navee's language development. Listen to Navee and her siblings, Holland and Carson, as they share their unique perspectives and experiences. The episode concludes by discussing the broader implications of inclusive education and the necessity of tailored support for deaf children.
 
Watch the video recording of the episode at https://youtu.be/AtHGg3lvbyg
 
00:00 Introduction and Misconceptions About Sign Language
00:43 Welcome to Love is a Classroom
01:27 Challenges of Podcasting with a Deaf Child
01:46 Cultural Experiences of a Hearing Family with a Deaf Child
02:26 Interpreting and Communication Tips
03:22 Personal Stories and Experiences
07:49 Inclusion and Communication in Daily Life
10:30 Navee's Summer Camp and Family Friends
13:30 Welcoming Navee, Holland, and Carson
18:08 Navee's Interests and Activities
20:36 Conclusion and Reflections on Inclusion
 
Contact me on social media or through my website for more information on my work: loveisaclassroom.com
Thank you for listening!
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show. It helps other listeners find this show.
Follow me on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram 
 
 

In this focused episode of 'Love is a Classroom: Stories of Inclusion,' Vicky Brett and Amanda Selogie, special education attorneys and founders of the Inclusive Education Project, join me to discuss events in Series 2 and the importance of inclusive education for children with disabilities. We talk about Brooke's circumstances with Navee. My guests address the legal obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, the challenges families face in securing appropriate support, and the powerful role teachers and parents play in advocating for inclusive environments. The episode highlights a real-world events, practical solutions, collaboration, and the societal impact of true inclusion in schools.
 
00:00 Introduction to Inclusion and Legal Rights
00:48 Meet the Experts: Vicky and Amanda
01:47 Challenges in Inclusive Education
02:28 Legal Framework and Parental Advocacy
03:00 Personal Journeys into Special Education Law
06:34 Navigating the IDEA and Legal Obligations
11:01 Funding and Resource Allocation Issues
14:19 Empowering Parents and Teachers
21:29 Rethinking Educational Models
31:19 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
 
Contact Inclusive Education Project: https://www.inclusiveeducationproject.org/
admin@IEPCalifornia.Org
Listen to the Inclusive Education Project podcast on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
Contact me on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram or email me at loveisaclassroom.com for more information on my work.
Thank you for listening!
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode
If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show. It helps other listeners find this show.
 

Why does Bayfield Early Education Program (BEEP) feel different? Dr. Andrew D.L. Goff begins his five-episode journey toward understanding what makes BEEP different from the other 79 programs he has visited in western Colorado over the past two years.
00:00 A Preschool Welcome
01:59 First Impressions Matter
03:16 Meet Dr Goff
03:53 Stephanie Joins During Covid
09:11 Learning Without Pressure
11:48 Julia Finds Her Place
14:26 The Real Work Begins 16:46 Searching for the Secret
18:12 Families First Culture
24:31 Peace Within Chaos
25:29 A Parent Needs Proof
26:31 Hayes Tour and Inclusion
29:22 Episode Wrap and Thanks.

In episode two of Love Is A Classroom: Stories of Inclusion, Dr. Goff follows Lauren as she enrolls her son Hayes at the Bayfield Early Education Program (BEEP) and confronts the vulnerability of leaving Hayes, a child who can’t describe his day. Staff and therapists support Hayes’ difficult transition by meeting him in hallways, using sensory strategies, modifying schedules in minutes, and building communication through eye contact, hand leading, and tools like picture supports and a button. BEEP supports the whole family by arranging transportation, reducing stressful drop-offs, and coordinating consistency between home and school. Over time, Hayes increases classroom tolerance from 10 minutes to an hour and a half, participates with peers, and joins a walk to the park safely. The episode closes by previewing episode three’s focus on adult collaboration
00:00 Trusting the Team
01:06 Episode Two Begins
02:11 First Day Transition
04:11 Should We Send Him
06:59 Transportation Game Changer
10:02 Minutes Matter
12:02 Breakthrough Communication
15:07 Classroom Adapts
16:32 All Hands Support
18:07 Everything Is Ish
19:42 Peers Become Classmates
20:49 No Summer Break
21:45 Summer Camp Routine
23:51 Skills Transfer Home
25:13 Second Year Growth
27:00 Walking to the Park
29:14 Making Room to Belong
30:17 Looking Ahead
31:47 Thanks and Resources
32:52 Closing Credits

At the Bayfield Early Education Program (BEEP), staff members are not interchangeable. Some bring decades of classroom experience. Others arrive with few formal credentials but with patience, commitment, and a willingness to learn. Teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators hold different responsibilities, yet knowledge and ideas move across those roles.
In Episode 3, Stephanie, Colleen, Julia, and April describe how BEEP’s staff learn to work through differences in experience, personality, and authority. Their stories reveal that collaboration depends on more than hiring the right people. It requires time to reflect together, relationships in which uncertainty can be acknowledged, and structures that allow people to contribute while continuing to grow.
What appears from the outside as chemistry among staff is supported by intentional choices about hiring, mentorship, co-teaching, communication, and shared decision-making. Together, these choices help explain how responsibility for inclusion can extend beyond a single educator or director and become part of a program’s culture.
Learn more about the podcast, the Growth Model for Inclusion, and early childhood trainings at heartsetandmindset.org.
00:00 Stress and Support 01:20 Episode Three Begins 03:51 Team Differences 05:12 Kids First Values 06:55 Collaboration Structures 08:36 Extra Adults Join 10:14 Stephanie Finds Voice 12:40 Communication Breakthrough 14:23 Julia Learns Teaching 15:37 Hayes Shapes Educator 17:06 Hire the Person 22:05 Paras Influence Plans 24:39 Families First Staffing 26:52 Beyond Depending April 29:56 Next Episode Tease 30:56 Thanks and Outro

Colorado Shines evaluates its view of quality at BEEP. The overall score was good, but its classroom observations, where the work matters most, revealed the limits of what an outside observer could document during a brief visit. Staff discussed the gaps between the standard measures of quality and high-quality, meaningful inclusion. The episode then follows BEEP’s curriculum and assessment decisions, where professional judgment involves interpreting what each source of evidence contributes within a particular context.
Chapters
00:00 — Waiting, independence, and adult action
02:36 — Colorado Shines and competing evidence
08:01 — Preparing for an ECERS observation
11:30 — Building curriculum from multiple sources
16:06 — Planning for what happens “ish”
17:14 — Choosing an assessment system
18:40 — Observation, relationships, and professional judgment
21:01 — What makes educational decisions possible
Learn more about the Growth Model for Inclusion Course and other trainings at heartsetandmindset.org. Contact Dr. Andrew Goff through heartsetandmindset.org/contact.

April begins with one non-negotiable: BEEP considers the student first and the resources second. That commitment requires the program to build teams with outside specialists, prepare children for kindergarten, and support the adults doing the work. Episode five follows those relationships into staff compensation, benefits, governance, retention, and connections that extend throughout the Bayfield community. When April, Stephanie, Julia, Colleen, and Lauren identify BEEP’s “ingredients,” they describe respect, trust, communication, knowledge, professional judgment, voice, and shared responsibility. Together, their stories suggest that inclusion does not come from reproducing another program’s practices but from creating the conditions in which people can contribute to what happens next.
Chapters
00:00 — Student first, resources second
01:39 — Building teams beyond the program
03:21 — Including and supporting adults
04:41 — Carrying knowledge into kindergarten
07:27 — Retention, compensation, and governance
12:23 — Families and community as resources
14:28 — Naming BEEP’s ingredients
18:28 — A program shaped across generations
19:36 — Replicating practices or supporting growth
22:32 — What has already been growing here?
Learn more about the Growth Model for Inclusion Course and other trainings at heartsetandmindset.org. Contact Dr. Andrew Goff at AndrewDLgoff@gmail.com.