Madison Ward

ECE 495
Kelsey Klosterman
March 24th 2022
IEP Reflection
When I attended the IEP meeting, I knew a rough draft of what to expect. Still, as I have
learned throughout my special education practicum, one can be taught and read about what they
should do in multiple scenarios, but it will never entirely prepare you for the real deal. Therefore,
I am thankful to the parent(s) that let me attend the IEP meeting and my special education
supervising educator. The IEP meeting I attended was an annual meeting held via zoom. The
people present were the parent(s), general classroom teacher, special education teacher, special
education director, and two other individuals within the school system; however, I did not catch
who they were.
The first thing I learned from attending the IEP meeting is to have the documentation
present and ready to go. Since it was over zoom Mrs. Jacobsen, the special education teacher,
was able to share and present her screen for everybody to see. But if the meeting was face-to-
face, I am sure each induvial would get a copy of it. Additionally, as your presenting, have a
sticky note or notebook present by you to write down any notes or reminders that might be
discussed throughout the meeting. This could help to remind you of what to add to the IEP or
dismiss. In addition, other individuals in the meeting might share information that could be
helpful when in the classroom. For example, throughout the meeting, it was discussed how well
the reward system was working for the student and how they had noticed a huge shift compared
to the beginning of the school year.
Another thing I learned while attending the IEP meeting is the importance of going
through the plan/agenda for the meeting. Doing this makes sure that all people involved are on
the same page and know what to expect. It also helps in establishing the foundation for the
meeting, where parents and others can ask questions and chime in when they have something to
add. It is also essential to discuss in the meeting to think about the future and where what is
being discussed will carry over. For example, in this meeting, the student was going to be in 4th
grade, so it was important to add how these things would carry over and what it would look like.
 This meeting will have an influence on my teaching in the future. First, as a classroom
teacher, you need to discuss with others apart of the IEP team what you can do to better assist the
student in the classroom. This will ensure that the student is getting the best learning experience,
but it will give you better tools to build a relationship with that student. It can also assist in
incorporating what is taking place in the support room into the general education classroom. So
there is not so much “distance” between the two classrooms. Collaboration this way can go a
long way in assuring that the learning experience is set up in the best possible way for the
student.