Friday Night Plans
Picture this, it is Friday night and you are home on the couch surrounded by paperwork. More specifically IEP paperwork. Sounds like a fun time, right? Nope, NOT.AT.ALL! It doesn’t have to be this way. You can take control of the IEP chaos and get finished in a more timely manner. It does not have to control your free time. Here are the 4 rules for writing an effective IEP that will change the way you think.
Know the Law
Obviously the laws of special education can feel completely overwhelming and difficult to understand, but you need to know the basics in order to write an effective IEP. You don’t need to memorize the law. But in order to implement the first action step of the 4 rules for writing an effective IEP, you need to be familiar with the law. There are plenty of websites that break things down for you. You can find books that will put the law into simple to interpret terms. By having a general understanding of the law, you will make sure that everyone involved in the IEP process is protected and gets their needs met.
Putting Together the Puzzle
An IEP is a little like a puzzle. Hear me out…there are so many pieces to an IEP. You have the present level of performance, the goals and objectives, the parent input section and so on. You need every piece to meet the needs of your students. The second action of the 4 rules of writing an effective IEP is to understand how all the pieces fit together. Just like starting with the edge pieces of a puzzle make it easier, beginning with the foundation of the IEP will make things easier. The foundation is the present level of performance. This is where you should spend most of your brain power and time. If you can get a solid PLOP written then everything else basically writes itself.
The Wheel Already Exists
There is an old saying that you should never reinvent the wheel. This holds true for writing an IEP as well. The third action step in the 4 rules of writing an effective IEP is to NOT start from scratch every single time. Sometimes things will be an updated version of the previous IEP…that is ok! Sometimes you need to use a goal bank to get your started…that is ok! Yes, each year needs to be personalized and meet the student where they currently are so that growth happens, but I’m always a fan of using what you have around you! Work smarter, not harder!!
Listen to the Parent
The last action step in the 4 rules of writing an effective IEP is to LISTEN to the parent. Sure, we all ask for their input, but do we actually LISTEN to what they say? Parents know their child the best. They have a vision not only for the present day, but also for their child’s future. An entire section of the IEP is dedicated to their voice for a very good reason, it matters. While we can’t always give the parents everything they want, we need to try to meet them at least in the middle when we can. And if we are truly listening then we will have good reasons when we can’t meet them. It is all about relationship building and turning those ears on.
Let’s face it, writing IEPs can be overwhelming, especially with things changing all the time. This summer, Stephanie is hosting a professional development geared towards all things special education! The line-up is impressed and jam-packed with actionable takeaways so you don’t want to miss it. It is actually summer professional development that you can implement in your classroom this fall. Click here to learn more information. You can get started by participating in free IEP Week. You will learn more about the 4 rules of writing an effective IEP and so much more!
Staying Organized
If you need help staying organized with all the meetings and paperwork, check out my brand new digital planner that was created for the special education teacher. You can try it for free HERE and get the whole shebang HERE!
