ShiftED Podcast #58 In Conversation with Devon Warnock & Jennifer Mercer: Building Inclusive Schools

What if we stopped seeing some students as "difficult to teach" and started designing our classrooms for everyone from the beginning? That's the transformative question at the heart of my conversation with Devon Warnock and Jennifer Mercer, Consultants for Inclusive Education at Lester B Pearson School Board.Both educators began their careers in classrooms with diverse learning profiles – "We didn't even know it wasn't normal," Jennifer reflects. "We just did what we had to do." Their journeys from overwhelmed teachers to inclusive education experts reveals how Quebec's approach to inclusion has evolved over the past two decades.The conversation tackles a persistent challenge: even experienced teachers struggle with understanding the difference between flexible pedagogy, adaptation, and modification. This confusion led Devon to develop an Inclusion Toolkit, providing practical strategies for designing lessons that work for all students rather than retrofitting for those who learn differently. When surveying 250+ teachers, they discovered that many with 15+ years of experience still felt unprepared to support students with diverse learning needs.Perhaps most compelling is their vision of what true inclusion looks like – not just shared physical space, but environments where every student feels they genuinely belong. Through established routines, positive relationships, and thoughtful planning, teachers can create classrooms where diversity becomes the expected standard rather than the exception.Whether you're a new teacher feeling overwhelmed by diverse classroom needs or a veteran looking to refresh your approach, this episode offers practical wisdom for moving beyond just "integrating" students to truly celebrating their unique contributions in our learning communities.