Differentiation

Differentiation means tailoring to the individual needs of students which gives every student a chance of becoming a successful learner. Every student learns differently and should be treated as such. As a teacher, you will have to meet the needs of low performing students, high performing students, and on-level students. There are many different ways to reach the needs of low performing students and they will look different depending on the students' needs. The big things are to make sure you are providing additional support in the content area it is also important to understand how students can benefit from a hands-on learning approach vs. the traditional teaching method. It is also important for you to know that the final product from a low-performing student may look different. You have to be okay with and understand the differences that your students have. Something that I had not thought of before this presentation was providing for your middle or on-average students. Things to remember for these students consist of knowing when to give reinforcement of concepts and when to expand their knowledge on a concept they understand. Allow these students to show their learning in a way that makes them feel proud of their work. These students are easily overlooked, so make sure you are doing your part in making them feel valued and important. There are many ways to reach high performing students but make sure you are not giving them *more* work. They need to be challenged not bogged down with more of the same. These students also tend to use alternative strategies that some students may not think of. Encourage these students to think out of the box. They get bored easily, so try and create an environment where they will be engaged and take ownership of their learning. You will also encounter students that are unmotivated to learn. Try and figure out what these students are interested in and connect learning to their interests. You can also promote a growth mindset by praising them and acknowledging when they work hard or complete an assignment. The important thing is to establish clear goals and expectations for all students in your classroom and enforce them. In my opinion, all of this goes back to knowing your students. Know their interests, know how they learn best, know what they are going home to, just get to know them! By doing this you will be creating intentional relationships and you will have a growing community of learners.