This article explains principles of cooperative teaching using the analogy of a "team effort" to include special needs students within the general education classroom. Columns contrast "what it isn't" and "what it is" for the following aspects of cooperative teaching: (1) establishing the ground rules (e.g., it's not…

With agriculture teaching as its theme, this issue looks at teaching horticulture, team teaching, the ups and downs of teaching, integrating students with disabilities, and why people choose teaching as a career. (JOW)

Cooperative teaching may be a useful service delivery model for facilitating the merger of general and special education. A rationale is presented for use of cooperative teaching, outlining short-term and long-term benefits, implementation options, and potential barriers and techniques to resolve them. (JDD)

This article explores two issues in conducting qualitative research: (1) the essentials of data collection, and (2) the unique role of the researcher in the data collection process. The author's own research study on use of health and medical information by various members of a classroom team for special education students is used to illustrate…

Discussions with exemplary Colorado general and special education coteachers led to development of three metaphors for the coteaching process: (1) yin and yang (the uniqueness and unity of the two teachers); (2) the dance (the rhythm, fluidity, and automaticity of effective collaboration); and (3) the particle and the stream (the thriving of…

General educators offer their perspective on inclusion of students with disabilities. They point out the advantages of ongoing collaboration among regular and special educators, paraprofessionals, and specialists. They note that general education classes are already highly diverse but the single teacher lacks the advantages of collaborative…

Discusses problems with the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education and characteristics of successful inclusion programs, including real collaboration between special-education and general-education teachers, involvement of parents in the education of their children, and considering inclusion to be a process, not an event. (CR)

In this interview, Dr. Marilyn Friend discusses why collaboration is important in schools, what it takes to make collaboration work effectively in schools, what teachers need to learn about working with others, the biggest challenges that collaborators face, how school leaders can facilitate collaboration, and resources on teacher collaboration.…

Two factors, inclusion and diversity, have resulted in new collaboration between special educators and general educators and implementation of coteaching arrangements. This paper discusses the coteaching model, including various forms of coteaching and reported effectiveness with students with disabilities. Noted are frequent accounts in the…

This discussion of ethical issues in the practice of teacher collaboration linking special and regular education considers reasons for collaboration, student placement, classroom diversity and teacher stress, confidentiality, the effectiveness of collaborative interventions, and teacher attitudes and successful collaboration. (DB)

Collaborative teaching helped a fourth-grade teacher and a special education teacher enhance their professional and personal lives. The paper discusses their philosophy, describing how they created and implemented an inclusive education program. The collaboration benefitted everyone involved. Teachers learned new practices, parents and colleagues…

This commentary on a previous article (Odom 1999) that investigated 16 inclusive programs in 4 regional U.S. locations notes the omission of environments other than classrooms in the study, such as home settings and family day care settings. The absence of specific characteristics of the programs described is also criticized. (Contains seven…

This commentary on a previous article (Odom 1999) that investigated 16 inclusive programs in 4 regional U.S. locations notes the omission of information about the quality of services, providers' perspectives, the extent to which what practitioners say corresponds with classroom practice, and range of special services delivered. (CR)

This article explores the possible integration of Title 1 compensatory education and special education programs which currently coexist in about 65% of all public elementary schools. Integration is often achieved through cooperative teaching or blended funding of staff salaries. Profiles of local efforts at program integration are provided.…

This reply to a commentary (EC 600 858) on a previously published paper (EC 230 267) dealing with the regular education initiative (REI) argues that a critical element in managing mainstream classrooms is use of team approach, that existing visions of the future are tenuous, and that integrated student placement is a preferred condition but not…