With hundreds of special education degree programs around the country, University of Wisconsin has had to remain unique in their approach to special education to earn College Choice’s No. 2 ranking in the nation.
A student-teaching requirement and professor accessibility are two ways UW maintains their unique approach to special education that helped them earn a high ranking.
Heather Dahl, an associate faculty associate in the School of Education, said the two special education programs in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education require students to teach full-time for two semesters.
Student-teaching for a full academic year is one thing that makes UW’s program unique, UW graduate student Andrea Truitt said. Students are able to experience the classroom to find their strengths and what works best for them. They know what to expect and have a better idea of which age group they would prefer to work with.
“They are not shooting blindly in one area or age bracket but already have gained experience to know what they like and what they don’t,” Truitt said.
This enables students to understand the range of ability in classrooms and be well-prepared and marketable, Dahl said.
Kenna Schacht, UW student and former Badger Herald employee, said the university is also unique because professors are so accessible. Schacht is currently a part of the program and is completing her second semester of student teaching.
Faculty in the department are able to address student needs because the department is small, Dahl said.
Faculty teach courses, advise students and sit in on committee meetings, which helps support students working through the program, Dahl said. Students can choose their own experience with an area of interest through conducting research or working with a certain population of disability during the professional program sequence.
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One of the most helpful things she’s learned, Schacht said, is “person-first language.” This is seeing someone as a person, not their disability, first.
“Don’t assume that the student is incapable of answering your question or communicating with you,” Schacht said. “Think of them as a person.”
Professor and Academic Director Kimber Wilkerson said special education “is a satisfying profession in being an advocate for inclusion and is equity work — helping people give kids with disabilities a more level playing field.”
A cycle has been created where inexperienced people fill special education teaching positions, Wilkerson said. This creates frustration but could be avoided with proper training and support, she added.
There are two undergraduate tracks students can choose for special education. One program focuses on special education and the other program focuses on both special education and elementary education.
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Helping others is rewarding, Schacht said. Students with disabilities can help people see life differently because they enjoy life so much, she added.
Schacht said she grew up with disabled friends and enjoyed helping them participate in everyday life. She said special education gives students with disabilities access to education that everyone else does.
Truitt said special education is a calling for some people and at the end of the day they know they have made a difference. Every day in special education is different, she added.
“Students don’t choose special education, special education chooses them,” Truitt said.
