So far my only teaching experience has been long term subbing at Edgewood High School. I subbed for the last month and a half of the school year, you know the end of the year when students have checked out... I digress. Before the teacher left she showed me around her room to help get me acquainted. She briefly mentioned that a few students had IEPs and 504's. BRIEFLY. I thought nothing of them. One day while going through her desk, throwing everything away, I came across the IEPs and 504 plans so I started reading them. Well, I wish I had looked at them before I was already 2 weeks in to teaching. I had several students that had IEPs that required for them to have notes printed out for them before class (oops), one student needed access to a computer to take notes (504 plan), and a few others needed extended time for test/quiz taking (IEP). Needless to say it would have been beneficial to read these before I started. I was able to accommodate the lessons for the rest of the year but I felt so bad that I had not known these thing previously. From this experience I feel more prepared to start at Liberty High with my new position this fall.
Works Cited:
The Difference Between IEPs and 504 Plans (Understood.org)
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans
At least you had a chance to chat with your teacher about things such as that before they left. Two out of my three long term substitute positions gave me no advance prep or notice of things like that and I had to find out for myself where the plans were and what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteCute presentation! I enjoyed your detailed write-up about your own experiences. It is important that even teachers have stronger communication to provide students with the most out of their education. To think if you would have never came across those then those students would have had difficulty in the rest of their term. I am glad everything worked out. I feel that this assignment helps us understand the similarities and differences between IEP and 504 so we can better accommodate and modify based on the student's needs. Our whole goal is to create a positive environment where all students can succeed!
ReplyDeleteIt's good you found the 504s and IEPs, so that you could give the students their accommodations! Did you have to work on any of the 504s or IEPs while long term substituting? I'm glad that this experience made you more prepared for student teaching!
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