Differentiating in the classroom is very important, in order to teach to all of the students. Not all of the students in the classroom will be at the same level and not everyone will learn in the same ways. I will make sure to create use a universal design for learning (UDL) in my future classroom in order to meet the needs of all of my students.
In my classroom I will have students who are struggling readers and students who are advanced readers. For the struggling readers I will assign reading buddies and have students read a text together. For some reading activities, I will group students into small groups and have them do coral reading or partner reading. I will use flexible grouping to pair students together who will work best together and be able to help each other.
For the advanced readers in my class, I will allow them to read independently or in small groups, as long as they are being productive. I may also place some of the students who are more advanced with some students who are struggling. This way the advanced students can help the struggling students through peer teaching.
I will make sure that any second language learners or special education students in my class will be assigned a reading buddy, if they need one. I will make sure that their reading buddy is an advanced reader, that way the student who is more advanced can help his or her buddy.
I will do different activities in the classroom like partner reading, think-pair-share and writing conferences to make sure all of the students are given a chance to participate, interact with each other and help each other. During partner reading, students can help each other out with words they are struggling with. If both students are struggling with a word they can use the word wall for assistance. Think-pair-share activities give all the students a chance to think individually and then interact with another student to share and discuss what they were thinking. Students will be able to help each other through writing conferences, they will also be given the opportunity to discuss their writing with a peer and receive some suggestions.
I will make sure to create and use tiered activities in the classroom as well. This will allow students to move at their own pace. For students who need it, I will allow them to work in small groups or partners to complete an assignment. This will allow students to work as a team and assist each other if they need it.
I will create learning centers for students to work at with small groups. Each center will be different and will focus on a different area of study. Some centers will work on spelling, some will work on fluency, some will work on comprehension and vocabulary and some will work on writing and grammar rules. On some days students will be able to choose which center they would like to work at and on some days I will assign students to a center based on their individual needs. Every couple of weeks I will change the actives used in the centers in order keep it interesting for the students. I will make sure that all of the students have tried out each center before I switch them.
For my classes that are at different levels, I can differentiate the content being taught. In my more advanced classes I will be able to teach more in-depth and specific then I will for my struggling class. I will differentiate based on the skills I expect each class to learn. My advance class will be able to read a higher level book then my struggling class. Both classes will be working on the same, or similar concepts though, even though they will be reading different books.
When assessing my students, I will allow them to show what they have learned in a variety of ways. Some assessments will be in the form of a test, some will be in the form of a project and some will be in the form of a presentation. I will make sure to have an equal variety of the different forms of assessment in order to be fair to all my students. I think that it is important to give students a choice, so for some projects, I will allow my students to choose how they want to present their project.
In order to teach students to be respectful towards other cultures and teach them to appreciate cultural differences, I will be sure to explain any cultural differences before we start reading. If we are planing to read a book that is about a different culture I will plan the beginning portion of the lesson to discuss and inform the students about things they may not know or understand. I will allow the class to participate in a discussion to ask question, give information or share stories. Discussing with the class cultural differences is more interesting for most elementary students, rather then lecturing on the subject. Students will also gain a deeper appreciation for other cultures when they are allowed to share some personal stories they may relate to the topic.
Before reading a story, I will make sure that all of the students are well informed about the culture and any cultural differences represented in the book. I will be sure to answer any questions and explain each subject explicitly. By doing this before reading, students will be able to comprehend the story better and appreciate it more.
Before reading a story, I will make sure that all of the students are well informed about the culture and any cultural differences represented in the book. I will be sure to answer any questions and explain each subject explicitly. By doing this before reading, students will be able to comprehend the story better and appreciate it more.