This year my role is a Support teacher so it means I am that person who helps you write those dreaded Individual Learning Plans for your students who need a differentiated approach to the curriculum.
I know a lot of teachers see Learning Plans as extra work and initially they can be but I want to help you see this as a way to make your job easier! I already hear you groaning but trust me this will be painless.
So lets start with what they are called, I asked some of my followers on my FB page what they call Learning Plans in their school and this was some of the responses
- IEP's Individual Education Plan
- PLP's Personalised Learning Plan
- ILP's Individual Learning Plan
- PLASP Personalised Learning and Support Plan
- ICP's Individual Curriculum Plan
Whatever they are called they all pretty much have the same function. They are there to make sure the information about a particular learner informs the teaching and learning for that student. These learning plans should be created in conjunction with a Support Staff, parents and Classroom Teacher, this way you will get the most relevant information and all stakeholders are aware of what will be happening for that learner in the classroom.
So what should an effective Learning Plan include?
- Student information including name, age, grade level, teacher
- Diagnosis information if relevant
- Types of Professional assessments that have been done including psychologist, speech therapist, OT etc
- Student strengths and interests
- Information about sensory issues, personal assistance needed ie toileting, transition assistance, social management, communication
- Strategies and adjustments for the above information
- Curriculum outcomes and goals
- Personal and Social outcomes and goals
- Evidence to show the progression toward achieving the outcomes and goals
Phew! Seems like a pretty extensive list but believe me when I say this is all relevant and will make your life and the students life easier. When you have this at hand you can easily see what needs differentiation and what doesn't. Let's face it though most student who have a Learning Plan need it to access the curriculum in a way that needs adjustments and the heaviest subject areas are English and Mathematics so most Learning Plans I have seen usually include an English and Maths Outcome.
Most schools have a preferred template for you to use so if you don't have access to one find out from you admin staff if there is one for school use. If not you can download this free one here or by clicking on the pic below. This is a Word document so it is completely editable for you to add your school logo and anything else you need.