IEPs are an important part of our students lives. But IEP meetings can be frightening! Today I’m sharing 5 IEP meeting tips for teachers. And these will help your next IEP meeting be less stressful and more successful!
Tip #1
Be prepared. Get everything organised in advance. Do you have your paperwork ready and organised in an efficient way? Print out extra copies of the IEP so that you can give them to the parents and anyone else attending.
Tip #2
Have an agenda to follow. It’s very easy to go off track and talk about other things. Having an agenda means that you’ll be able to come back to where you were easily. You can also ensure that you aren’t missing out on anything important. Going through the agenda at the start of the meeting will also let everyone know what’s coming up. And this is helpful for them to know when to ask relevant questions.
Tip #3
Be understanding. When we get stressed or worried, sometimes we can say things in a sharper tone that we realise. Or our words can come out more aggressive that we’ve realised. And this can come out in a way that feels like they’re attacking you. Or they feel that you’re failing their child. This isn’t actually the case 9 times out of 10. These parents and families are worried, they’re panicking, they don’t know what to do. Try and put yourself in their position. Listen to their concerns and help to act on them.
Tip #4
Explain yourself. We work in this world all day every day. And we get to work with other professionals. We get access to a variety of training opportunities. But, many of our students families have probably never even had one training session. Slow down and explain yourself. If there’s something you may think they don’t understand, take the time to explain it to them. They may feel confused about targets you’re setting – or action plans. Take the time to explain why you’re doing these things. How will it help their child?
Tip #5
I’ve saved the best for last. Take time to get to know your students families. Build relationships with them. It’s much easier to communicate when you have a good relationship. And it ensures that you understand each other better. Having a good relationship and communication with families is going to be the icing on top of every cake. It’s what holds everything together. It’s what is going to make your IEP meetings less stressful and more successful.
If you want to find out more about how to have successful IEP meetings, listen to our podcast interview here, where I speak to Brandie, an IEP coach and special education consultant.
I’m running an online ‘Transform Your Autism and Special Education Classroom‘ training. This is a self-paced course. And that means you can complete the course in your own time. And it has a whole module on IEPs to help you run these successfully and stay organised in your classroom. You can find it here.
What are your best IEP meetings tips for teachers? Let us know in the comments below.
If you found these tips helpful, please consider sharing them with your friends and co-workers on social media.
Nikki
