divreflection

Teaching in Diverse Classrooms Reflection
Managing a differentiated classroom...

Differentiating instruction for students seems increasingly challenging in the classroom, especially as a specialist. I am filled with ideas about how to differentiate within the projects I work on, but am puzzled as to how to actually implement these ideas when I am not the classroom teacher. I meet most of my projects with hesitation because teachers are not willing to “try out” new ways, new ideas, different processes, etc. All of the projects I have completed with various grades in various subjects have all been formatted in a very similar manner.

Using differentiated instruction strategies is not something I am doing on a regular basis, so I should really talk more about my understanding of “Managing a Differentiated Classroom.” This is a hard job, hands down, no question about it. Thinking now about all the work and pre-planning that goes into differentiated teaching and implementation is daunting to say the very least. I think that’s the same way I described it in my last entry. If I were to walk into a differentiated classroom and students were busily working on a task, I would see small groups, different activities for different interest groups, different kinds of learners, helpers (“ask-me hat”), setting the expectations high in the classroom, and daily practices that help students reach those goals as you differentiate throughout the day. I would love to actually be in a classroom or be involved in a classroom activity where this was going on. I bet it’s going on all over my school building, but in small doses and instances.