My school, like any school, is unique. We are a small institution with fewer than 200 students, ranging from Early Childcare to Grade 12. I teach middle school, and I never have more than 13 students per grade. This allows me to build a personalized relationship with each student, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Although our student body is small, each individual is different, which is where differentiation becomes crucial. This weekend, I had the opportunity to lead a session on differentiation for my fellow teachers during a Professional Development Day, and in this post, I’d like to reflect on the key ideas of differentiation.
Most teachers would have come probably come across the term differentiation at one stage or another. But what does this exactly mean? While preparing for the session, I decided to do some research on this and came across a nice flowchart that lays it out quite well.
Teachers can differentiate in different ways, and these can be broken down into four areas:
Content (What do you teach?): Teachers can adjust what is taught based on students' needs by modifying the depth or complexity of the material. They may provide additional resources for advanced learners or scaffolded support for those needing help. Offering alternative topics or materials that still meet learning objectives can also address diverse interests.
Process (How do you teach it?): Differentiating process means varying instructional methods and activities. Teachers can use different approaches like group work, hands-on activities, discussions, or visual aids to cater to different learning preferences. They might also allow students to work at different paces or provide additional support like graphic organizers or guided notes.
Product (How is it assessed?): Teachers can differentiate products by offering students choices in how they demonstrate their understanding, such as through presentations, essays, projects, or creative assignments. They can also modify the criteria or expectations based on students' readiness levels, providing more or less challenging tasks as appropriate.
Learning Environment (How do you adapt the classroom environment?): Differentiating the learning environment involves adjusting the physical or social setting to support different learners. This can include flexible seating arrangements, creating quiet areas for independent work, or setting up collaborative spaces for group activities. It might also involve fostering a supportive atmosphere where students feel comfortable taking risks and engaging in learning.
Differentiating is based on student characteristics:
Readiness refers to a student's current level of understanding and skill in relation to the subject matter. Teachers can differentiate by providing materials and tasks that are appropriately challenging, offering support for those who need it, and extending learning for advanced students.
Interests relates to what students enjoy or are curious about. Teachers can differentiate by connecting lessons to topics that engage students, offering choice in projects or assignments, or incorporating activities that align with their passions.
Learning Profile includes students' preferred ways of learning, which might be influenced by learning styles, intelligences, or cultural background. Teachers can differentiate by using a variety of instructional methods (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), offering different formats for assignments, or considering the cultural contexts of the students when teaching.
During the session, I demonstrated several activities I use to differentiate for my students, including hangman, four corners, open-class discussions, cloze reading, brainstorming, think-pair-share, and group work. At the end of the session, I asked my colleagues to write a short note on what "differentiation is," and they came up with nice responses.
I was happy to receive positive feedback on the session. My aim was to provide my colleagues with a clear framework for understanding differentiation and to help them apply these principles in a practical way. Differentiation is a key aspect of teaching and learning, and having a structured way of approaching it can help us incorporate it effectively into our classrooms.
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