"Squeezing students into a one-size-fits-all curriculum has left many behind. By Differentiating your instruction, you can meet the needs of every child."
--Carol Ann Tomlinson
Teachers in differentiated classrooms use various teaching strategies, are flexible with time, use students interests, and work together with students in a partnership to create the ideal learning situation. You can not force fit students into a standard mold, they are individuals and learn differently.
There may be times that trying to differentiate for all your students seems next to impossible. It is times like this that we need to remember that differentiating every minute of every day just isn't practical. It should be done when possible, but if you try to do it all the time you will get burned out like the teacher in the picture.
When trying to figure out the best way to differentiate for the students in your classroom, remember this... we differentiate in response to the learner's interest, learning profile, and readiness. This will give you a place to start and help you to know how to create and carry out a differentiated lesson.
I often worry that with all the demands that are placed on teachers that I will get burned out if I try differentiating for all my students. Sometimes it makes me tired just thinking about it. It is times like this that I try to remind myself that it can't be done all the time and that I just need to base my differentiation off the learning needs of my students. I honestly think that if I am able to differentiated successfully it will keep the curriculum fresh in my classroom. I wont fall into a mundane routine. It will keep me on my toes, fresh, and right there learning with my students.
*** Differentiation is beneficial to not only the students, but also for the teacher ***
You're going to be great at differentiating! You understand it at pretty deep levels... you just need to have the opportunity to try it, for real! Great posting! 5 pts.
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