4. Plan for practice

It’s time to plan how you will put your learning into practice.

Try one of these suggestions in your work together over the next few weeks. 

Suggestions for practice

• Working as a teacher-teacher aide team, think of a student you work with who has an IEP, and select one new way to support them to participate as a decision maker in their learning.
• Remember, the IEP process is not just about the IEP meeting. Think about how the student could:
  1. have access to their IEP in a meaningful format
  2. convey their preferences for the strategies and support used to help them achieve their goals
  3. participate in discussions about their progress and whether goals are achieved or still relevant
  4. contribute to future goals.
• Read the scenarios in Activity 4 for the ways other schools have involved students in their IEPs.
• Make a plan together for implementing this strategy. Consider how to involve the student, their family and whānau, other staff, such as the person at your school responsible for coordinating additional learning support, and wider team members.
• Discuss and write down the teacher’s role and the teacher aide’s role in implementing this strategy. Work out how to negotiate these within the IEP team.
• Talk to senior staff and other relevant staff in your school about the strategy you would like to try and your plan.
• Trial your new strategy.