IEP Meeting Reflection

Jacqueline Gleason-Boure
EDU 480

Growing up with a mother in education and a brother with Asperger’s syndrome, I

became familiar with the terms IEP and 504 early on in my life. However, until my student
teaching placement, I had never actually participated in an IEP meeting. I attended my first at
ELHS within the first few months of my placement, for a student I had the opportunity to have
multiple interactions beforehand. The student, Jim (name changed for anonymity) always
seemed to be full of energy, but that was often directed at friends and electronic devices as
opposed to classwork – so a typical teenager.
In the IEP meeting, there was a much different attitude in Jim, seeming much more
subdued with a quiet stress. No one from the student’s family showed up to the meeting, so Jim
was alone in speaking for himself with many teachers and his case manager seated at the table.
For the most part I found this meeting beneficial and I left feeling more confident about helping
Jim in class. However, it was a bit strange in my opinion that it felt like many teachers directed
their feedback about Jim at his case manager as opposed to Jim himself. This could have
increased his stress or made it more challenging to engage in the conversation.
I imagine this scenario must have been stressful for Jim, as it could be easy to feel alone
with so many teachers. The comments were a mix of weaknesses and strengths about Jim’s
performance in class. From an educator’s standpoint, it was a useful meeting to compare how he
was doing in the class I was student teaching in compared to other classes. Jim had the
opportunity to explain this to an extent during the meeting, often stating that he felt more
comfortable in classes with friends, but that this could also lead to difficulty paying attention. He
also made it clear that when he didn’t engage in work in class, that it was most likely due to the
fact that he didn’t understand the material but didn’t want to be seen asking for help.
Although it’s difficult to admit, before the IEP meeting I was under the assumption that
Jim was simply unempathetic and unmotivated. The meeting helped me to see him in a fairer,
more accurate light. I came to understand that he really did care and wanted to do well, but that it
became especially difficult for him in a situation where he felt uncomfortable asking for help
from teachers or friends.