What We Do A general educator must be included as they are a vital member of
the IEP/ARD Meeting. Without the general education teacher's valuable participation, it
would be difficult for the IEP (Individualized Education Program) team to take
on its new responsibilities for looking at a student's progress in the general
education curriculum, standards, and assessments.
The general education teacher will: - Complete the Teacher Input Form and submit the form to the Special Education Case Manager
- Use their STEP binder to make informed recommendations to the ARD committee
The general education teacher also brings to the IEP team
knowledge of:
- The general education standards.
- How the student with
disabilities performs with the general education curriculum.
- How the student interacts with her peers.
- The pace of the class.
- Other students.
- The dynamics of the class.
- Approaches for teaching the class as a whole.
General education teachers need to know that they are important
players. They
need to know what they are expected to contribute to the process and what kinds
of support they will receive in return. For example, meaningful collaboration
and support from special education staff through the use of instructional ideas
and collecting data on accommodations to meet the individual needs of a diverse
group of students as they help them to learn effectively.
To be part of the IEP team, general educators need to look
at their own beliefs and biases regarding students with disabilities. It is important to own up to biases where they exist, but
not let them color one's attitude toward a particular student. To be an
effective part of the IEP process, general educators will also need to:
- Know how to communicate
effectively and work
within a team context.
- Know how to observe
special education students and
record their behaviors objectively in order to help IEP teams track these
students' progress.
- Describe a student's performance and behaviors to emphasize the student's strengths.
- Some general educators will need to learn how
to describe a student's progress, weaknesses, and needs in appropriate,
positive language. The idea is to describe the progress the student is
making, no matter how small, and to focus on how to get to the next step.
For example, "Jim can't add" is vague, derogatory, and doesn't
describe what Jim can do. "Jim can count up to twenty by ones. We are
working on having him count to fifty." is more positive, accurate,
and points to the next goal.
- Convey to the other IEP team members an
acceptance and willingness to actively participate in the IEP process.
- Be willing to try new approaches in working with students with
special needs.
- Be willing to ask for additional assistance when this is needed.
- Complete Teacher Input Forms for each
student before the IEP Meeting
Forms Additional Resources
Adapted from content found on teachervision.com
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