Overwhelmed by Accommodations! IEP/504 Plan Streamlining Tips for Teachers
Accommodations for ADHD ensure student success, but maintaining multiple 504 Plans and IEPs can lead to teacher burnout. Here’s how to streamline the process.
Q: How can I, as a teacher, more effectively and efficiently implement many Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 Plan accommodations for multiple students with learning differences in one classroom?
Many students with learning differences benefit from classroom accommodations, but managing them all can challenge any educator. This is especially true today, as the number of students requesting accommodations has increased dramatically. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons cited by educators for burnout.
If I teach 100 students, about 30 will have an IEP or 504 Plan, with two to three accommodations for each student. Teachers are tasked with figuring out how to implement and track these, while also covering all the course content, engaging young minds, and maintaining rigor. It’s a lot to manage.
To tackle multiple accommodations at once, take the time to carefully organize your online classroom portal. By uploading your notes in advance, for example, you can knock off several accommodations, such as “provide notes to students” and “offer different instructional strategies.”
[Read: 27 Classroom Accommodations That Target Common ADHD Challenges]
Along those lines, set clear due dates in advance for students who are given extra time to complete assignments. Doing so offers a clear structure, which is comforting and motivating for students; for teachers, it streamlines an otherwise unwieldy process.
Q: I see my students with ADHD struggling to focus. How can I help them pay attention without embarrassing them in class?
When teachers tell students with ADHD to pay attention,” most of the kids don’t know what that looks like. This is where we can turn to the SLANT model, developed by Doug Lemov, author of The Coach’s Guidee to Teaching.
[Free Poster: What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD]
The SLANT strategy details the behaviors necessary for students to pay attention:
- Sit up
- Listen or lean forward
- Ask or answer questions
- Nod your head
- Track the speaker with your eyes
The benefits of this approach are twofold. First, these behaviors enhance the ability of the student to really engage. Second, the student who adopts them looks respectful, which sets a positive tone in the classroom.
Accommodations for ADHD: Next Steps
- Read: The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions
- Read: Positive Teaching Strategies to Uplift Students with ADHD
- Free Download: Easy Accommodations for Kids with ADHD
Brandon Slade is the founder and CEO of Untapped Learning, an executive function coaching organization. He is a former special education teacher.
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