What Works for Differentiating Instruction in Elementary Schools
I
really enjoyed this article about differentiating instruction, because it
continues to be the most challenging part of my job. As class sizes
continue to increase, differentiating instruction must become every teacher’s
mission. It is imperative that teachers take the time to understand the unique learning
styles of individual students. No two learners are alike. With a
classroom of 25 third graders, I am challenged every day with this task.
However, it is the reason I love teaching! I could work through the night
planning lessons to meet the needs of every student efficiently, but I know I
will never master the art of differentiation. I will never get bored
with my job as a teacher because there is always room to grow and
improve. I love the challenge, and I hope that I continue to learn
new strategies that help me meet the needs of all of my students.
I couldn't agree more with your comment about how hard we could work and still not meet the needs of all of our students all the time. This is a demanding task, and we are asked to take it on daily. As a middle school teacher, I am constantly differentiating without even realizing I am doing it. I think as I get more experience it comes naturally, because it is our job. I am thankful in Florida that there is a class size cap for core subject areas so I never have more than 22 students in seventh grade math, but it is still a challenge. I can't quite imagine 25 third graders!
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