Ask the Question: What does inclusion look like?

I recently observed a student in his 5th grade general education math class. Everyone had sturdy privacy folders except 2 kids at the moon shaped table. Teacher instructed the students to find their name listed on the board and get with their partner. Everyone had a partner except for the 3 kids at the moon shaped table to the side of the room sitting with the special education aide. Everyone was told to work for a minute, and switch with their partner. If they needed another math sheet raise your hand. Student I was observing was done with his sheet, despite not having a partner and because no other teacher led instruction applied to him up to this point he sat there. Until I, as the observer, said he needed a new sheet. The teacher NEVER interacted with the 3 kids at the moon shaped table, during the entirety of my 45 minute observation. Teacher instructed all the students to submit their papers to the counter. 3 kids at the moon shaped table sat their while their aide took their papers. They were instructed to get into new groups and now, guess who were grouped together? The 3 kids at the moon shaped table. Everyone was instructed to come get the review packet, and the 3 students at the moon shaped table sat there because not a single classroom instruction had applied to them because they were the kids at the moon shaped table, not included despite there being empty chairs next to gen ed kids, despite them having the same worksheets and review packets as everyone else. BUT, GUESS WHAT? The 3 kids at the moon shaped table had NEVER been taught the material on the review packet. They didn’t recognize the material and when I inquired, the aide said they are usually gone by now, and never stay for the math instruction. Despite not ever having seen the material, between me and the aide, we were able to show them what expanded notation meant and all 3 kids at the moon shaped table were able to catch on to something…they clearly had skills…Until one of the kids counted down to 1:15 when they all leave to go do ZEARN on the computer with their SPED teacher. Not a single gen ed peer interaction and not a single teacher interaction. What does inclusion look like in your kid’s school?