Maggie Pomerleau

2/19/20

1. Name: Student 6 IEP

2. Purpose: Annual IEP meeting

3. Who: Dad, student, two gen ed teachers (ENG & SS), two student teachers, one sped

teacher, VP

4. Sped teacher led the meeting. Went through each of his 5 classes: first a positive, then

constructive criticism, grades, and suggestions for changes to IEP. Student input.

Transition to HS. Break

5. During the meeting, I observed a lot of positivity. Student 6 is quiet, but there were many

opportunities given for the student to talk and give input. Mostly, it was a nod, laugh, or

head shake.

6. The general education teachers were expected to fill out a form about the student before

the meeting. This had positives, constructive criticism, strengths, and weaknesses. No

student work samples were used or required, but teachers spoke of the student’s general

attitude and work ethic in their classes.

7. Other participants remained fairly quiet throughout—dad was an active listener. The

other student teacher, the vice principal, and myself all made quick comments about our

experiences with the student. Everyone was given the opportunity to speak.

8. At the beginning, there were introductions done by all participants. This brief intro

included names and their relation to the student. The parent was familiar with the special

education teacher, who was facilitating the meeting, as they had worked together before
 outside of school, so there was light humor throughout the meeting to make everyone feel

more comfortable.

9. When preparing for IEP meetings, I will always make sure to take notes on the student’s

strengths and weaknesses beforehand. My notes will also include the current grade—both

academically and habits of work—and notes about the student’s attitude in class, or other

concerns.

10. To conclude the meeting, everyone in the room went around and made a positive

comment about the student, and there was a unanimous decision to keep the IEP the same

going forward. After this, the special education teacher brought up the difficulties that

student 6 may face in their transition into high school. No details were finalized, but the

special education teacher wanted the student and family to be prepared to discuss the

topic further in the coming months.

11. Although this meeting did not leave me with any questions, I did leave with many

positive thoughts. Creating a positive environment for IEP meetings is essential to their

success. Students, teachers, and family members need to feel valued. I also liked the idea

of all the general education teachers filling out a sheet ahead of time. This allowed the

teachers who were not able to make the meeting to also have input, since their notes were

read aloud by the other general education teachers. There was not much to follow up on,

since there were no changes made to the IEP or the accommodations.