Different Strokes for Different Folks

Know How to Differentiate Instruction Meet all learners as they present themselves to us. Equality does not always mean equity. Giving children the same exact lesson does not equal meeting the needs of the child. Everyone appears to have various preferable ways of retaining information.

A Study A study published by Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences found that students’ learning outcomes significantly improve when teachers use differentiated content that responds to a student’s learning preferences. Students are also more likely to focus and be engaged in the learning process when teachers differentiate their instructional strategies. As you provide opportunities for students to explore content based on their strengths, they’re more likely to flourish in your class. Differentiated instruction strategies are especially important for students with physical or learning disabilities. These students often have strengths and weaknesses that are different from other students who don’t have the same disability. By differentiating your instruction, you can adapt lessons or assignments for these students to better accommodate their needs.[1] A Situation An educator notices a sense of disconnect every time the class gets to the reading block of the day. The routine is set: A book is assigned, the teacher calls a reader, students appear to follow along, the teacher asks questions, the same students answer, the same students are quiet until pressed to speak, and the same students are totally disconnected. Then students complete a worksheet, there is a unit assessment, the same people do well, and the same students do poorly.

Differentiating Instruction Differentiated instruction is about meeting the needs of children as they present themselves to us. Resources are important. Accumulate the resources needed to meet children in a variety of ways and on different levels. The tools you use can be physical, real-world tools or online resources. If you teacher grade four, gather tools to reach children who enter your classroom on a second grade to sixth-grade reading level. Beyond the typical “teacher model and student practice style,” vary your lesson styles between project based, explorative, and cooperative (and other useful types you learn about). Within the lessons, have students complete a mini project, explore to find out more, or work as a team to solve or complete a task. Next, create your own way of gathering observational data. You need this data in order to have ”check-in” meetings with your students. You, along with each student, can keep notes together about the student’s progress and ideas for improvement. Finally, vary your assessment styles. Go beyond multiple choice, short answer, and fill-in worksheets. There are multiple assessment types. Your real task will be to create a concrete rubric to give the children clear expectations for anything you have assigned. Build a unit for the first two months of school. Step back and see the system you have created in action, and your students actually learning within that system. Say it with me: “Student, I have something special, just for you!”

Quote

Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.

—George Evans

[1] “How Differentiated Instruction Can Help You Reach Every Student In Class,” Waterford.org, July 24, 2020, https://www.waterford.org/education/differentiated-instruction-strategies/.