Ahhh…Spring Semester. It seems as if the work pace is quickened immediately after we return to work from Holiday Break! I don’t know about you, but I get easily stressed from January to late April. As my school’s special education coordinator and the quarter-time reading/phonics teacher, time is certainly a precious commodity (I’m sure I’m not in the minority with that one). At the end of each work day I find myself scratching my head wondering why the time keeps “playing” with me. This hide-and-seek game is not cute anymore!
I try to make it a point to leave my office door open while I’m working…I want my staff and the children to know that I am visible and available to them should they need me. My ‘open door’ policy, of course, comes with, several interruptions that prevents me from completing Any.Given.Task. But, you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way! My post-grad leadership studies and a gifted mentor taught me that it is essential to maintain visibility with staff and more importantly, the students because my job is to serve and support. Point.Blank.Period.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT ME
I discovered that time is not only “playing” with me, but my colleagues are also being pranked! My colleagues are excellent professionals at their crafts and they work super well with our SWD population, so of course, their input and presence at IEP meetings are vital! Our current growing pains with this population comes with more and more meetings, which competes for our time.
With that said, I am excited to say that I have created a focus-filled agenda to use at IEP meetings that I LEA (facilitate…). I used this particular version for the first time the other day and we were able to hit every single concern and talking points in around 40 minutes!
Agenda “GLOWS”
- each section of the IEP is referenced with suggested time limits (use the timer on a cell phone or an egg timer to help everyone adhere to the time limits!)
- each team member is allotted an opportunity to contribute to the conversations
- the time limits kept every member focused on the topic at hand
- each team member became aware and understood meeting expectations and etiquette
- everyone’s time is protected, which how I approached this new practice – everyone ended up appreciating the focus-filled agenda!
Agenda “GROWS:
- will present a bit of a “comfort curve,” especially to your more sociable (chatty-Cathy) members 🙂
- the suggested time limits may not be enough time to address concerns (when I found that a team member legitimately needed more time to speak, after the timer went off I politely asked if they needed 2-3 minute “grace period”
- time limits may need to be adjusted depending on the nature of the concerns being discussed and addressed – but you will have an idea of the amount of time needed since you know your students best!
Click on this link to download my free IEP Meeting Agenda from my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
Without this agenda, my meeting could have easily gone past 60 minutes and counting! How do you keep your meetings focus-filled and address/discuss items in the IEP in a timely manner?
