If you’re a new teacher about to enter your first IEP meeting, the advice of veteran teachers is much needed and appreciated. Even more so if you are feeling overwhelmed at the prospect. Fear not – running an IEP meeting does not have to be a daunting task. In this blog post, we will take a look at 11 tips from experienced educators that will help make your next meeting run smoothly.
If you're a veteran teacher, you know that Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings can be challenging. Balancing the needs of the student, the parents, and the school can be difficult, and it's easy for things to get off track.
However, there are some things that you can do to help ensure that your IEP meetings are successful. Here are 11 tips from veteran teachers:
1. Make sure that you're prepared. Review the student's file in advance and be familiar with their individual needs. This will help you to be more responsive to questions and concerns.
2. Write a detailed agenda in advance and share it with all participants. This will help to keep the meeting on track and ensure that all topics are covered.
3. Set ground rules at the beginning of the meeting. For example, you may want to limit discussion to specific topics or designate one person to speak at a time. This will help to keep the meeting focused and productive.
4. Be respectful of everyone's time. Start and end the meeting on time, and allow for breaks if needed. This will show that you value everyone's time and appreciate their participation in the meeting.
5. Be open to input from all members of the team. The best decisions are made when everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas.
6. Keep an open mind throughout the meeting. Be willing to consider different perspectives and find creative solutions to problems.
7. Be decisive when making decisions. Once a decision has been made, stick to it and don't second-guess yourself later on. This will show that you're confident in your decision-making ability and that you're committed to following through on what was decided in the meeting.
8. Communicate clearly and concisely. Use plain language that everyone can understand, and avoid jargon or acronyms whenever possible.
9. After the meeting, take some time to write down your thoughts on what was discussed. This will help you to remember what was agreed upon and what still needs to be done before the next meeting.
10. Follow up after the meeting. Send a summary of what was discussed and any action items to all participants. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that tasks are completed in a timely manner.
11. Seek feedback from the team. After each meeting, take a few minutes to ask for feedback from the other members of the team.
Running IEP meetings doesn't have to be stressful or overwhelming. By following these tips from veteran teachers, you can help to ensure that your meetings are successful. Do you have any other tips to add? Share them in the comments below!
