Stories from the Field
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Differentiated Instruction: Thinking about Tomorrow
Differentiated instruction recognizes what we all know to be true of others and ourselves: That we differ widely in readiness, aptitude, and interest.
But year after year, we see classroom instruction feeding all students the same pill.
A couple of years ago, our district held a differentiated instruction workshop for administrators. If began with an “icebreaker” activity that I took back to my staff, so forcefully did it drive home the case for differentiation.
Three signs around the room read “Pretty darn good,” then “Doing OK,” and finally “Not so good.”
As the presenter called the names of various pursuits—gardening, tennis, football statistics, etc.—we were told to go to the sign that best described our interest and mastery of the activity.
You probably know where this went. Not only did we vary widely in our relative individual proficiencies, but the group makeup also changed with each activity.
We didn’t have to use rocket science to see that, like our students, we were different. Yet our students were beginning and ending their day with the same group, doing pretty much the same thing.
Differentiated instruction holds great promise for breaking this cycle of mass-produced instruction, but only if you and your staff know what it is, what it is not, and how to put it to work in the classroom.
Start now to build the knowledge, teamwork, and materials essential for maximum teaching and learning. “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow. It’ll soon be here.” Read Differentiated Instruction in the Mixed-Ability Classroom >
