General education and special education teacher preparation programs are similar in that they both are trying to find answers to what content knowledge beginning teachers need in order to be an effective teacher. (Cochran-Smith & Dudley-Marling, 2012 & Sindelar et al., 2010) Both groups of teachers work with students who have varying needs, however, the special education teacher is teaching students with a wider variety of needs. As our special education students access to the general curriculum increases, special education teachers need to build their knowledge of content subject areas. (Sindelar et al., 2010).
In today’s classroom, it is necessary for the general education teacher and the special education teacher to work together to meet the needs of all students. Isn’t there a way that general education and special education preservice teachers can begin to collaborate during their programs? We desperately need the collaboration in our schools, however, during their education programs, each group is separated from the other. Why do we educate seperately and then expect there to be collaboration once they enter the field? Cochran-Smith & Dudley-Marling (2012) suggests that the universities could “help unite the diversity communities” in general education and special education teacher preparation. Why aren’t our univerisites modeling for our students the way general education and special education teachers can collaborate? Are there univerisites who have attempted this collaboration within the teacher preparation program? What challenges would we face by implementing this at the university level?
What pedagogical practices are best suited for the general education teacher? What about for the special education teacher? There must be some overlaps in these areas in which the general education and special education preservice teachers can be educated together. As the awareness of special education arises, will we eventually require teachers to be certified in general education as well as special education?