The IEP Playlist

For those of you who don’t know, an IEP is the Individual Education Plan (IEP) which defines the special education services each and every student receives through our school systems.

The purpose of the IEP is to design an educational program to meet the individuals needs so they can be successful not only in the school system but in life. The purpose of the IEP is to meet their UNIQUE needs.

With Austin, who is now twenty-one, I’ve been through quite a few IEPs and IEP meetings.

During my prep for our IEP, and the day of the meeting, I often pick a song that depicts my thoughts, my role or the general atmosphere for the moment. I’ll often listen to the song over and over again. The ranges of the genre are broad and below are just a few of what I consider classics.

We Belong – Pat Beneaar:

 Whatever we deny or embrace

 for worse or for better

 We belong, we belong,

 we belong together

You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Because You Love Me  - Celine Dion:

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me.

Guardian - Alanis Morissette:

I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian

I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden

I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand

The greatest honor of all, as your guardian

Amazing – One Eskimo

It's in the stars, in the sun

It's everywhere, in everyone

And it will be every day

From now on, from now on

We are one and it's amazing

Everything – Alanis Morissette:

You see everything, you see every part

You see all my light and you love my dark

You dig everything of which I'm ashamed

There's not anything to which you can't relate

And you're still here

If Everyone Cared – Nickelback

And as we lie beneath the stars

We realize how small we are

If they could love like you and me

Imagine what the world could be

And then there are the non-typical tunes that may come into play, depending on my mood, depending on our current experience:

Not Ready to Make Nice – Dixie Chicks

I'm not ready to make nice

I'm not ready to back down

I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time

To go round and round and round

It's too late to make it right

I probably wouldn't if I could

Cause I'm mad as hell, can't bring myself

To do what it is you think I should

Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N Roses

Welcome to the jungle

It gets worse here everyday

Ya learn ta live like an animal

In the jungle where we play

If you got a hunger for what you see

You'll take it eventually

You can have anything you want

But you better not take it from me

Stranglehold – Ted Nugent

the road i cruise is a bitch now

you know you can't do me 'round

if a house gets in my way

you know I'll burn it down 

Enter Sandman – Metallica

Hush little baby don't say a word

And never mind that noise you heard

It's just the beasts under your bed

In your closet in your head

This is How You Remind Me – Nickelback:

And I've been wrong, I've been down

Been to the bottom of every bottle

These five words in my head

Scream, "Are we having fun yet?"

Highway to Hell – AC DC:

No stop signs, speed limit

Nobodys gonna slow me down

Like a wheel, gonna spin it

Nobodys gonna mess me round

For us IEP season is right around the corner, I’m hoping we’ll stay the course and our tune will be a little on the mellow side. Although, one must keep in mind,  I am a realist, there are no Precious Illusions (Alanis Morissette).

What’s in your playlist?