TeacherGoal # 23: How to Create Real-World IEP Goals with Catherine Whitcher

"It's time to stop writing IEPs for the 1980s and truly prepare students for the future." In this episode, Catherine Whitcher digs into how teachers should be approaching writing real-world IEP goals and why the most important task is to ensure students' unique needs are being met. She encourages teachers to ask themselves if what is taught will help students reach their goals and will prepare them for the future. Tune in and learn how teachers can help support the student's development in a meaningful way!For 25 years, Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed has been leading both parents and teachers through the IEP process. Helping EVERYONE work together to create IEPs with less stress and more results. Catherine has seen what is possible for a child's future when we design a child's IEP for the real world and she loves to teach all IEP team members how to make it happen! Key Highlights: [00:01 - 07:11] Opening Segment• What Catherine does as a Master IEP Coach• How to approach teaching skills to students in a way that is relevant to their real-world experiences[07:12 - 13:13] How to Prepare a Child for the Future• Why parents, teachers, and administrators must learn and train about special educationUnderstanding better their role and the importance of meeting a child's unique needs• Always ask yourselves if what you teach is a skill students will use in real life[13:14 - 19:15] Adding Weight to IEP Goals• The key to building effective IEP goals• Focus on compliance and accountability when writing real-world IEP goals• Parental input is an important part of the IEP process[19:16 - 25:38] The Parent's Input• Teachers can help to shift IEPs into real-world roles Guiding parents on how to share their concerns with academics• It's important to challenge old-fashioned goals and ask proactive questions when developing IEP goals[25:39 - 33:36] Closing Segment• Talk to your team about upcoming changes to their child's IEP goals• It is okay for parents and teachers to try new thingsLet’s Connect! Want to connect with Catherine? Follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.  Visit her website to build better IEPs with less stress and more results!You can connect with our host Erica Terry on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Be sure to check out her website https://www.healthywealthyeducators.com/ to learn more about different strategies to achieve your teaching goals!You can connect with the TeacherGoals community on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. If you'd like to engage in Q&A with our guests during the live interview or interact with a rockstar community of educators, then you definitely want to join the TeacherGoals Facebook group.