Building a Bridge

I was once in a parent conference and we were talking about strategies to help this student become for successful in class. I stated on of Covey's 7 Habits: Begin with the end in mind. We talked about where the student was and where we wanted the student to be at the end of the school year. Then we talked about how to build a bridge to get from where we were to where we wanted to be. Your right, it's just a visual for differentiated instruction! Now, if you are playing "Buzz Word Bingo" and you have the words Differentiated Instruction you can go ahead and mark it!

Yes, DI is a "buzzword" but we can make it so much more. Think about it. The teacher(s) from your past whom you remember most fondly, differentiated for you. Now, they may not have called it that; however, we know it was taking the time to know us as individuals and educate each of us that made those teachers stand out in our hearts and minds.

Differentiated Instruction is not some "new idea" that will go away in a year or two. Differentiated Instruction is simply effective teaching. We must meet each student where he/she is and help each student in our classrooms improve. Forgive me if I sound to cliche, but we must do whatever it takes to help each student be successful in our classrooms this year.

Often, we let the dark side prevail and we think about all the reasons that Differentiated Instruction isn't a workable possibility. As we begin this new and exciting school year, I want to clarify a few things regarding Differentiated Instruction.

Myth: Some say that DI is not realistic and it is not fair. Students should be treated equally.
Reality: Being FAIR does not necessarily mean being EQUAL. I repeat: Fair isn't always equal. It is easy to grasp that concept when think about a student who needs glasses to see the board. But we don't think about it when the differentiation is a little less obvious to us. Find out what works with each student and keep a "bag of tricks" handy to reach the various learning styles in your classroom.

Myth: If our students are all expected to take the same standardized assessment, then I am setting them up for failure if I give them different assignments.
Reality: Differentiated Instruction helps students to master the material. Standardized assessments (yes, this could be an entirely new blog topic) measures the mastery. DI helps the students to "get it" and helps improve standardized test scores.

Myth: The "real world" isn't differentiated!
Reality: I hope it is! Think about it. If we were to have surgery, would we not want the surgeon to operate based on our specific need and not the general textbook idea. Exactly! The real world IS differentiated. I will be honest...if the real world were not differentiated, I would be a very unsuccessful citizen!

I know, at this point you are thinking "Great idea lady....but the reality is I have over 35 students, a MASSIVE SCOS, and a principal who expects good EOC scores. This is not happening!" Take a deep breath! It is not as difficult as you think. Many of you are already doing the little things that make the most difference.

If you have ideas, please share! I would love your input!

Happy Teaching:)