Planning for IEPs is a tough task. Whether your IEPs are spread out all year long or your district has what they call “IEP seasons”, they always seem to come at the worst time possible. Things are crazy and it’s hard to remember everything you wanted to include! You KNOW these kids, but as teachers our minds are in a million places.
An IEP planner is exactly the tool to keep busy special ed teachers on track. All year long I would plan for IEPs, even in this very small way.
Using a planning sheet like this one is a great way to have somewhere to jot notes and ideas whenever they happen all year long, and keep it in one place. When the time to write the IEP comes, you have an AWESOME starting point and are ahead of the game! Just look at your notes and start writing goals to meet them.
Getting input from the IEP team is also HUGE when it comes to writing an awesome IEP. Everyone on the team will see the student in a different situation or environment and this is helpful to you when you write the IEP. About a month before an IEP I put input sheets into the mailboxes of EVERYONE who interacts/ teaches the student. Their outlook truly is valuable to the teacher because you cannot be everywhere at once!
Parent input is ALSO important when it comes to the IEP. We want to meet the needs of the child at home and at school! We want parents to feel apart of the process too! Sending home an input survey keeps families involved and connected to the process, making it less stressful for them!
Using a check list for the IEP is super helpful in making sure every part of the IEP is done and completed before and after the meeting! This kept me on track when I had multiple IEPs at one time.
During the IEP meeting, many districts require you to take notes. Having a uniform sheet helps you appear professional and allows you to save and keep it in the IEP binder to refer back to when finishing the IEP.
After the meeting is complete, the IEP is uploaded and signed, it’s up to the teacher to make sure everyone is following it! An IEP at a glance can be filled out and passed on to everyone working with the student. We can’t force everyone to study the IEP but having an at a glance version ups your chances of them getting the main points right!
An IEP planner is the perfect solution to the many post it notes across your desk and keeping all your IEP ideas and notes in one place! How do you plan for IEPs?
You can download the IEP planner HERE.
