If you are a first-year special education teacher, first of all, CONGRATULATIONS! You may feel excited this back-to-school season. Once you are faced with all that you need to prepare before the first day of school, the excitement may turn into stress. Feeling this way is normal, and you’re not alone. When I was a first-year special education teacher, I remember feeling highly overwhelmed, especially around planning and running IEP meetings. I wish someone would have given this first-year teacher some IEP advice. Luckily, I found Simply Special Ed’s Simple IEP Binder shortly after. It was a game changer, helping me feel prepared for every IEP meeting. I still utilize this resource to this day! In this blog post, I share three pieces of IEP advice for first-year teachers featuring the Simple IEP Binder so they can stay organized in preparation for IEP meetings.
1. IEP At-a-Glance
While it is always best practice to review each student’s IEP in its entirety before the beginning of the school year, given how busy the school year gets, you will likely need a quick overview to ensure you follow students’ IEPs with fidelity.
Most special education information systems have pre-created IEP At-a-Glances for students based on their IEPs. However, I have always found that creating my own IEP At-a-Glances helps me retain student information better. I love that the Simple IEP Binder includes a copy of the IEP At-a-Glance, where I can add the student’s accommodations and reinforcers.
2. Parent and Team Input Surveys
I have always firmly believed that it takes a village to educate a student, especially a student with special needs. As special education teachers, we only see students in one setting. Therefore, it is important to remain in consistent communication with families and the rest of the IEP team to really understand the students’ needs.
The Simple IEP Binder includes a template for parent and team member input. I send these out two to three weeks before the students’ IEP meeting to ensure everyone has an opportunity to fill them out. From experience, these surveys have often yielded valuable insights as to what goals would benefit the student.
3. IEP Meeting Checklist
When the school year is in full swing, it is common to lose track of back-end work, such as sending home a meeting notice before an IEP meeting. This is why I love checklists. They allow me to offload procedural details, so that I can be the most present teacher on the job.
The Simple IEP Binder includes a “Things to Remember” page for procedural details before and after an IEP meeting. I print out the checklist a month before an IEP meeting, send out forms as needed, and check things off my list!
Where can I get the Simple IEP Binder?
You can download the Simple IEP Binder on Simply Special Ed’s shop or TeachersPayTeachers™.
Want more first-year teacher advice?
Check out “Tips, Tricks + Advice for First Year Special Ed Teachers” here.
