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Monday, July 9, 2012

30 Days Done

July is always an exciting time of the summer season.  It is when teachers finally get into the groove of being on break from school but also marks the beginning of planning for a new crop of students.  This brings about a world of emotions and questions.  Who will my students be?  Is what the other teachers said about the student true?  What type of unique learning needs will represented in my classroom?  As a previous general education teacher, I remember those same questions running though my head and not having the answers to them.  One question that was the most challenging to answer was the last.  What does a teacher do about the unique learning needs of his or her classroom?  Specifically how does a general education teacher meet the needs of a classroom of students who may include talented and gifted students, average learners, slow learners, and students with disabilities?  Often times this question is answered by a simple one word answer..."Differentiation". 

Differentiation.  What is it?  How does it work?  In short Differentiation of instruction is simply presented instructional materials in a variety of methods in order to meet the unique learning needs of all students.  This of course is easier said that done.  Have you ever been in a classroom of 25+ students who all require your attention?  If you have, you know this can be a helpless feeling especially if there isn't an understanding of how to address the needs of the students.  If you have never experienced this, consider yourself lucky.  It truly is daunting to look at the 25+ little faces and be entrusted with meeting ALL of their needs every day.  

So how do we differentiate instruction for students?  How does a teacher ensure that all students are gaining access to the general curriculum in a fair and rigorous environment and how do we accurately assess student progress?  In short, we do what is fair and appropriate for students and be certain that we are assessing the desired skill and not a skill that is not being worked on.  In the next posts I will discuss further ways that teachers can differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students. 

Check out the video below as a starter to what Differentiation is.  


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