Tuesday, September 30, 2008

IEPs

Both boys had IEPs yesterday.  I had to go to work, so I missed part of Joseph's and all of Alex's.  It is amazing to trust a school (and a spouse) enough to miss all or part of an IEP meeting.

Joseph's special ed teacher said she "laughed when she read my email."  That is the bit I posted last week in response to the form she had asked me to fill out...   I guess I didn't think it was funny.  She didn't mean it at all maliciously.  I think she thought I'd captured the essence of Joseph, and she knows him well.

They are working on getting Joseph out of his "Joe Bubble."  That is the SLP's phrase.  They want him communicating with peers, and have good ideas about how to make that happen.  

They never asked for a similar profile on Alex...   I guess that is because he works with a different special ed teacher, and has a different set of challenges.  

Every one at the school continues to be very, very positive.  I told them as I was leaving that I appreciated all of their hard work--and that I was pleased because I'd not cried at an IEP meeting for a full year!  They all looked at me in horror--I guess they don't really know how awful the experience is in so many instances.

A colleague has asked me to speak to her class, an upper level class for music educators about "special education," but not a music therapy class.  I have a few weeks to think about what I want to talk about.  Any ideas?


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes... That first and foremost all students in their class are their students!!! They are theirs to love and teach. Some students may need a little more or something different then they had planned- but that is part of the creativity and challange of a teacher - to figure out how to do that, and do that well.

I am coming at this from a perspective of Special Ed. Consultant so I get a lot of can't / won't which is usually don't know how or won't. I think new teachers are often "scared" when they find out a student who is "special education" is in their class. I would say they are often scared because of they don't feel prepared or their education didn't provide a lot in the way of "how to differentiate" the best that they can do is realize that students are students. If they are worried the best way to express this is to ask to see the sccomidations and ask for help with implementing them.


Just from the other side of the table...

Which it is always good to read your blogs from the parent side of the table.

-Sally