A Come Teach It Podcast Interview The Path to Becoming a Special Education Educator The Science and Humanity of Special Education

Being a special education teacher is a unique career path. The profession requires the combination of the usual teaching skills of a psychotherapist. This article is derived from a series of podcast interviews. The interviews are conducted by Dr. Michael Berger of Tauro Worldwide University, and Mr. Jacob Larsen, M.A. of Santa Ana Valley High. This current article is the interview of Robert Hernandez, M.A. who is a Special Education Specialist/ Teacher. In this interview, Mr. Hernandez first traces his life path that led him to the profession of special education teacher. In the interview, Mr. Hernandez also details how his development as a person, and his unique life experiences, led him to the unique vocation of teaching special education students. During the course of the interview, Mr. Hernandez identifies the personal and teaching qualities that are especially appropriate for a special education teacher. During the discussion, Mr. Hernandez identifies the educational issues that are unique to working with this population. Interspersed into the transcript of the interview are relevant references to the scientific literature that correlate with and further elucidate the ideas expressed during the interview and the dialogue with the two interviewers.