Creating well-documented and thorough Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) is one of the most important aspects of being a special education teacher. IEPs are legal documents that outline the unique educational goals and services for students with special needs. As a special education teacher, you will be responsible for attending IEP meetings, writing IEP goals, and documenting student progress.

One day I realized that my body was giving me every sign it could to let me know of the burnout feeling taking over me. It seems crazy to think that I ignored all the warnings.

Let me know if this sounds familiar to you.

You’re overwhelmed by all the feelings related to the behaviors you need to navigate every day. The data collection you need to do is flooding your desk. Not to mention the rotating staff you have to keep track of, the implementation of lessons you have to teach every day, and the list goes on and on.

I know because I’ve been there. Starting your teaching career feeling like your destiny is working in a classroom. (After graduating with my Master’s degree in Special Education, I couldn’t imagine it.)

But, I felt that spark, drive, and ambition slowly but surely dissipate year by year. Until I couldn’t even remember why I had wanted to be a teacher in the first place, all the overtime, late nights, and days of overwhelm were leading me straight to quitting altogether.⁠⁠

Waking up wishing there was less on my to-do list and more time for those unique relationships in the classroom. I was hoping for the things that had inspired me to become a teacher in the first place. So, I kept pushing, never stepping back to take a breath. I gave my all and hit burnout not once but three separate times.

⁠⁠Once I hit rock bottom, I did not acknowledge that something needed to change.

Surprisingly, we don’t talk too much about special education placements as special education teachers.  Maybe you do, but I remember the administration always told me that the decision involving special education placements happened above me.

Hold up a minute; please know it is inaccurate if you had heard that before or implied it.  There are several special education placements, and your voice in the decision matters—the voice of each Team member, including the parents and student, matters.

We learn that students need a special education placement considered their least restrictive environment (LRE) when in graduate school.  However, it is sometimes out of our control when it comes down to it.

Raise your hand if you agree that the paperwork involved in special education is more stressful than de-escalating a student’s behavior, and an IEP goal bank would help you out!

Writing and implementing individualized education program (IEP) goals that address every student’s needs in your classroom can feel like conducting a band where each student is playing a different song on another instrument.

What if I told you that there was a way to simplify your IEP writing process?  What if I told you that there is a way to save your valuable time and reduce paperwork.

Before you see examples of an IEP, you need to understand that one of the most critical sections of the IEP is the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).  The PLAAFP statement is the baseline measure of where the student is beginning.  You cannot measure progress without knowing where you started.

Outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, it requires an IEP to have a clear description, supported by relevant data, that outlines what the student is currently able to do.  This section of the IEP intends to comprehensively address students' strengths, current performance levels, abilities, and needs.

I knew I needed to consider a timeline for special education but had no idea where to begin.  Let me back up a bit.  After what I thought was returning to my comfort zone, I realized that yes, I was getting all the requirements done, but the routines and habits I created pushed me to my breaking point.  I had zero work boundaries and filled any waking minute with work.  If I wasn’t working beyond my contract hours, was I even a good teacher?

The mindset I created was not good, and a perspective that my other teacher friends developed.  When I started to do the work, I saw the benefits of following timelines for special education and any job requirement.  Following a timeline for special education, I was able to see the big picture. A bonus benefit was that I was beginning to see the importance of templates. One of the best templates I ever made was for IEP goal writing.

The SpEd Collective Podcast is a growth-focused, passion-led, educational podcast packed with actionable step-by-step tips helping you radiate confidence & streamline your IEP writing process. Train with the experts as you dig in, do the work and tackle the biggest challenges on your caseload. Each week, Jen brings you caseload management strategies, IEP tips, productivity hacks, authentic teacher truths, and inspirational stories that help YOU reignite your teacher spark. Tune in for tangible, actionable advice that Jen learned along her journey from Special Education Teacher to IEP Expert.