Most educators can agree that IEP meetings are not the best part of the job. But most of us have to participate in one capacity or another throughout the year. As a special education resource teacher, my Thursdays are spent in IEP meetings and preparing for upcoming meetings. Today, I want to share some tips for running or participating in an IEP meeting.
Come prepared. Parents are taking time out of their day to come for a meeting. It looks so unprofessional when you don't have your documents and information ready to go! Shuffling through papers and stammering is a turn-off to the parent, and probably your administrator as well.
Know your students. Whether you're the classroom teacher, service provider, or an administrator, it's so important to know the child you're talking about! You don't want to be confusing your students with each other or making up something about your student just to have something to contribute. Sad, but I've seen both happen before! Parents notice these things and it can make or break the parent-school relationship.
Listen the parents. Parents want to be heard in the meeting. It's so discouraging for parents to feel like they're not able to participate in the discussion or that their thoughts are not important. Even if you disagree with what they're saying, give them an opportunity to be heard and try to be understanding, at the very least. Remember, they're as vital to the IEP team as much as anyone else!
Check for understanding. IEP meetings are usually filled with a TON of information, which can be totally overwhelming for parents. After every section of the IEP, I ask parents if they have any questions about what was just shared. This way, they understand everything as we go and don't have to wait until the end to ask 42 question!
Share positives! Whether it's the first IEP meeting or the 10th, Parents usually know what their child's difficulties are. They see it on a daily basis and hear about their child's difficulties regularly. Be sure to start and end with some positivity! This helps parent's to feel more positive about the meeting and the plan, and reminds them of the strengths their child has! At the beginning of the meeting, I like to share why I enjoy working with the student or a funny anecdote about the student. When wrapping up the meeting, I remind the parent that I enjoy their student and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them!
Send home documents in advance. If you're sending home a draft IEP, make it clear that it is a flexible draft, not a finalized document that can't be changed. Send work samples, reports, draft IEPs, etc., home in advance. This allows parents to review the information comfortably and avoids surprise from the IEP meeting.
Hopefully, you've picked up some tips for successful IEP meetings that will lead to better meetings. Let me know what tips have worked for you in the comments!
-Georgia
