Standard #: 7.

Artifact #: 7.2

Artifact Name/Title/Description: Informational Packet for IEP Meeting

After completing the Informational Packet for an IEP Meeting, I learned how to
effectively communicate with parents regarding students individualized needs. In special
education, it is vital for the teacher to frequently keep the parents updated on the status of
their childs performances by providing information in a clear and specific manner. The
artifact also displays how to create a welcoming and inviting environment for parents. In
a group of students, the teacher is guaranteed to meet a variety of parental figures. The
teacher should inform the parents that they are keeping track of their childs objectives
and expectations and that they genuinely care about each individual. The IEP Meeting
Informational packet also shows how critical it is to address important obligations for the
special education team in advance so that everyone is fully prepared. As special education
professionals, we are required to possess knowledge and expertise in curriculum. As
specified in standard 7.0, the main goal is to create meaningful learning environments
that fully include all students with exceptionalities. By being prepared and organized for
IEP meetings, this will make the process easier for creating a structure of the class to
support each student. Furthermore, families should always be included to actively
participate in all aspects of the childs education. Some parents may be more involved
more than others; however, it is the teachers job to individually reach out to each parent
by giving them many opportunities to help support their childs education. The teacher
can individually reach out to each parent/s by giving students letters to bring home,
emailing the parent/s, arranging face-to-face meetings, etc. It is also imperative that the
special educator allows each parent access to a range of learning experiences for their
child so they are aware that they are not limited. A range of learning experiences may
include inclusion, resource, or self-contained settings.
As a student teacher, this artifact indicates that every day my competence is
continuing to grow. When it comes to appropriately connecting with parents, I am
continually learning effective collaboration strategies and developing professional skills
in the IEP process. Understanding the IEP process consumes a lot of time and effort, and
I am grasping all of the elements of it. This artifact educates student teachers on how to
more cognizant of selecting appropriate language and format for parents. The teacher is
required to formally communicate with the parents, using the proper language that is used
throughout the school setting with colleagues and students. There are certain boundaries
that teacher is not allowed to cross, so it is beneficial to get a lot of exposure to this
concept. In addition, I am constantly learning how to create a clear and organized
collaborative structure to prevent confusion from occurring. The IEP Meeting
Informational Packet touches on all of the important aspects, including the objectives,
strengths/needs, the purpose of the meeting, etc. and each section is clearly labeled with a
title. In new experiences and situations, I can apply the skills and insights that I have
gained from this artifact. This artifact is a preparation tool for collaboratively interacting
with parents, whether it is regarding positive or negative aspects of students learning
experiences. Some positive aspects may be the proficient grades the student is earning,
while some negative aspects may be the students inappropriate behavior in class. It also
indicates how to portray a wide variety of learning experiences for each individual. When
starting out as a teacher, it may be difficult to write objectives, so this artifact may be
used as a resource. I have also gained knowledge on how to be aware of what to expect at
IEP meetings. As a special educator, these skills will be applied so that I can take the
initiative when conducting these meetings. Lastly, I am also now aware that the parents
must always be provided their rights in written form before confidential meetings to
abide the laws of teaching.