At the Heart of Differentiation

It seems like the only thing on my mind lately is blogging. Who knew it could be so much fun? 

I've been reading in Chapter 2 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom and I am continually being amazed. 

One of the greatest accomplishments we can have in the classroom (according to me) is connecting with our students. The book states that teaching asks us to do the impossible. It asks us to establish ties with each child-- not to establish ties with all the children as though they were one student because they are not. I loved this. It seems daunting as a fresh new teacher to make those connections, on top of managing the classroom and teaching all of the curriculum, but how important this task is. 

"As time goes on we learn to listen better, to look beyond the obvious, and to accept the responsibility for each individual child and the inevitable risk of failure so that we can move ahead toward greater degrees of success toward becoming more effective teachers." 

I know that I personally have that desire to know each of my students individually. I also know that it seems extremely daunting, especially when there is so much besides that required of us as teachers. However, this is no excuse. As told by Esme, "Even if I come across as naive and zealous, even if I get on everyone's nerves, I have to...try. Even if I fail, I have to try and try and try. It may be exhausting, but that is beside the point. The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and sees them through. We'll see. I aim too high probably. But if I don't aim, how will I hit anywhere near the target."

Doesn't that just give you the chills? I know it does to me. It is clear that connecting with each student is at the heart of differentiation. This teaching approach does not accept learners as interchangeable parts. I absolutely cannot wait to get into my own classroom and connect with those cute, little, drive me crazy, students.

Catch you later,
Laurel (like Carl)

Morning Meeting

Today in class was so awesome. 

We were able to hear from Sylvia Allan. 
She talked to us about Morning Meeting.
 I'm not going to lie, when we first started learning about Morning Meeting in class I was very skeptical about it. I thought it sounded like a fun idea but not something that I would actually take the time to implement in my classroom. 

After today I might just be changing my mind.

What exactly is Morning Meeting you ask? Let me tell you!

 Morning Meeting is an engaging way to start each day, build a strong sense of community, and set children up for success socially and academically. Each morning, students and teachers gather together in a circle for twenty to thirty minutes and interact with one another during four purposeful components:

• Greeting students and teachers greet one other by name and practice offering hospitality.
• Sharing students share information about important events in their lives. Listeners often offer empathetic comments or ask clarifying questions.
• Group activity everyone participates in a brief, lively activity that fosters group cohesion and helps students practice social and academic skills (for example, reciting a poem, dancing, singing, or playing a game that reinforces social or academic skills).
• Morning message students read and interact with a short message written by their teacher. The message is crafted to help students focus on the work they'll do in school that day.

Sylvia was amazing. She had so much great insight and ideas for making Morning Meeting important and appropriate. I don't know how well I will do with Morning Meetings, but I absolutely want to give them a shot in my classroom and see how well my students respond to them. Click here or here for links to some other great sites full of ideas for Morning Meetings.

Goodnight,

Laurel (like Carl)

Student Needs

I guess sometimes we are all a little "needy." 

Sometimes I need to sing at the top of my lungs.

 I need to take my insulin daily.

 I need to start sleeping more.

 I need Netflix. 

I need my family and best friends. 

You get the idea right? Well, the truth is our students have needs too. 

As I am preparing to become a teacher, I want to make sure I am meeting those needs my students require. We've all heard about Maslow's hierarchy of needs I'm assuming. This proves that we have to meet certain needs in order to move on to higher levels. If you've forgotten about this hierarchy click here for a quick refresher course, from my friend, Wikipedia. 

According to our text there are 5 key needs that our students will expect from us (rather they realize they expect it or not). This fancy diagram I made myself (can I get a woot woot) shows these 5 needs. 

What exactly do these elements mean you may ask? Let me tell you.

1. Affirmation: I am accepted and acceptable here. I am safe here as I am. People listen to me here. People know how I'm doing, and it matters. My interests and perspectives are acknowledged and acted on. People believe in me here. 
2. Contribution: I make a difference in this place and in the work in this place. I bring to this place abilities and perspectives that are unique. I help others and the class as a whole succeed. I am connected to others through mutual work on common goals. 
3. Power: What I learn is useful to me now. I make choices that contribute to my success. I understand how this place operates and what is expected of me. I know what quality looks like here and how to achieve it. There is dependable support here for my journey.
4. Purpose: I understand what we do here. I see significance in what we do here. What we learn reflects me and my world. The work we do makes a difference in the world. The work absorbs me.
5. Challenge: The work here complements my ability. The work stretches me. I work hard. I am accountable for my own growth and contribution to the growth of others. I often accomplish things here I didn't believe were possible. 

I know I want to make my students feel this way. Think of all the endless possibilities you can have when students needs are met. Sometimes it may be difficult to find ways to meet the needs of all the different students in your class. If you desire it though it IS POSSIBLE. Allow your students to be needy, and let them know that YOU need them just as much as they need you. 

See you later alligator,
Laurel (like Carl)

Student Traits

Oh hello there! I hope you all had a good MLK day. I know I sure did. I spent it working on the turkey farm with my family and 20,000 of these cute little guys. 

Don't stress too much yet. I'm not basing this whole blog post on my weekend at the farm (as much as I know some of you want me to). Instead I want to talk a little bit about Tomlinson's student traits, found in our text "Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom."

There are four student traits that teachers must be aware of and willing to take action on in order to have an efficient and effective classroom. The traits are:

1. readiness
2. interest
3. learning profile
4. affect

Readiness relates to a student's knowledge, understanding, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning.

Interest refers to those topics or pursuits that evoke curiosity and passion in a learner.

Learning profile is how students learn best.

Affect has to do with how students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole.

Would you like to take a stroll through my brain for a quick second to see how I feel about these traits? Well, ready or not, here we go!

Students need to be ready to learn. We as teachers need to make sure that we are giving them this opportunity to excel and grow. If students aren't ready that doesn't mean push on and expect them to just "figure" it out as they go. Help them become ready. Help them become self sufficient. Help them love to learn and be ready to learn. We have the tools to make their "readiness" always ready, so what are you waiting for? One way of helping students love to learn is by teaching them about things that capture their interest. Good teachers teach to captivate minds and expand horizons. It is so important to find the best ways that our students learn so that they can reach their maximum capacity. Celebrate with the students when they succeed. Encourage them when they struggle. Find new ways to help them solve problems so that they won't have any excuses for failing. We have the power to do so much good in their lives but we have to be willing to differentiate and help them develop their best traits, so that their options will become endless. 

Adios,

Laurel (like Carl)

Change:The Only Constant in Life

Plato once said, "The only thing consistent in life is change." 

I love this, and I love the simple truth that it relates to us. In our classrooms this will be eminent. As we go from day to day and year to year we will always be changing things. We will be changing our methods of teaching; we will be changing our students. Differentiation is one of the things that will help us to change things up constantly and keep our students engaged and successful. 

In a recent article I just read, titled "Different Learners, Different Lessons," it discusses our opportunity to transform. It states how it is a curiosity of teaching that no two days are the same, but if we become careless, all of the days can take on a deadening sameness. I don't know about you, but I'm not becoming a teacher to "kill" my students (even if some days I really want to....figuratively of course). This is just another reinforcement of how important it is to differentiate. I know when I become a teacher if I am teaching the exact same way every day and never changing anything up I'll go crazy, and trust me you don't want to see that side of me. I want my students to come to school excited to learn and not in that deadening mode of "I'm here because my parents are making me be here." Learning is something we should all be excited about. As teachers we will also continue to learn. We will learn new ways to teach, new ways to inspire, and new ways to touch hearts both big and small. The article also related that we must remember that we have the opportunity to transform ourselves and our practice, but just the same we have every opportunity to stagnate, remaining much the same teachers we were when we began. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT become THAT teacher!

One of my favorite quotes by David Roppo, reads, "Floundering in a pool of hesitation and trepidation constitutes stagnation. You can't rise from the ashes if you refuse to walk through the fire." 

The truth is sometimes our job is going to be hard. Sometimes you're going to want to quit and give up, but that my friends is when we are being changed into something magnificent. Stick it out, brave the storm, and allow that change to happen. You'll be so happy you did. I promise.

Chau for now,
Laurel ( like Carl)

Hallmark #4

Here I am; back at it again!

 Remember in my last post when I said we get the chance to present to the class, on one of the hallmarks? Well, my group will be presenting on #4. In-case you forgot what #4 says let me refresh your memory. 

4. Individual growth is emphasized as central to classroom success. Achieving one's "personal best" is the goal of progress, with goals that are personally challenging. The teacher supports and guides progress, and guides adjustment when needed. The teacher finds a way to help individual students and their parents realize student growth without comparison and competition with other students in the class. The teacher knows that individual growth is paramount to "class growth." 

WOW, that was a mouthful, but it was oh so pertinent. 

My group is pretty excited about the chance to present this hallmark to the rest of our class. We realize that this hallmark should affect all good instruction because as a teacher you are wanting your students to do their personal best. This will in return allow the class to be the bomb.com. When we as teachers want our class to be the bomb. com we will be more willing to put in the effort to be our personal best and give our students all the opportunities needed to help them be successful in class and in life. 

Three key words found in this hallmark (according to us) are: personal best in regards to being challenged, succeeding without competition and comparison, and individual growth coinciding with class growth. What do you think are three key words found in this hallmark?

We've created a metaphor that we plan on using when we present that will give us the basis of everything we want to cover. Can I share that metaphor with you (it doesn't matter what you say, I'm sharing regardless)? "Your class is only as strong as your weakest link." We want everyone to understand that every "link" (or student) is different and each play a key part in helping have a successful classroom. One broken link equals one useless chain. I don't want to give away too much information just yet. After all we haven't even presented yet.

chucking up the deuces,
Laurel (like Carl)

Hallmarks [ WARNING: not a sappy movie review]

This last week in class we have been learning about HALLMARKS of a differentiated classroom. These hallmarks are the characteristics necessary for achieving best-fit between curriculum and instruction, and maximum growth for each learner. Later on in the semester we each get to present on one of the hallmarks in greater depth (more to come about that later). 

In class I was so intrigued by each of the hallmarks we discussed. I want to share them with you because they are so insightful and beneficial (and so I have a place where I can always find them...selfish, I know). 

They are:

1. A strong link between assessment and instruction.
2. Absolute clarity about what the teacher wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do-about what is truly important to learn in this unit.
3. shared responsibility for the classroom is between teacher and students, in the goal of making it work for everyone.
4. individual growth is emphasized as central to classroom success.
5. a "way up," usually through multiple and varied pathways, and never a "way out."
6. "Respectful" and engaging work for all students.
7. Proactive thinking and planning for different pathways.
8. Flexible grouping.
9. Flexible use of time, space, and materials.

If you find this post of interest, and want to read about the hallmarks in greater detail click here (beware though, they aren't in the exact same order that I have listed them, as well, there have been a few extra added). 

I can't wait to get in the classroom and apply this in real life. What about you?

Stay tuned for more on hallmark #4!

See you soon,

Laurel (like Carl)

A Better Way of Doing Things

From the mouth of Lewis Thomas, " We can take some gratification at having come a certain distance, but it should be a deeper satisfaction, to realize we still have such a distance to go."

Isn't this the truth? You think back to the 1800's and what the educational system was like back then and how far we have come. It's immaculate! So much has changed and so much has been improved. That being said we still have such a long ways to go, and what a journey that will be. The million dollar question is will we ever perfect the educational system and have complete success from our students? The answer to that is easy; NO! We sure can try though. As long as we continue to evolve and change and discover then we will continue to perfect and better and improve as humans. 

Without differentiation  it will be mere impossible to reach higher levels of success and achievement. The better you can understand your student's and their background the better you can teach and create ways for them to become successful individuals. This seems daunting at times, especially to us "noobs." Have no fear! 

Carol Ann Tomlinson executed, "Teachers in the most exciting and effective differentiated classes don't have all the answers. Instead, they are dogged learners who come to school every day with the conviction that today will reveal a better way of doing things-- even if yesterdays lesson was dynamite." 

And that my friends is the greatest news of all. There is hope for you and there is most definitely hope for me. Together we can show this educational system who is boss and blow it's mind with the knowledge and success of our students. 

I'm signing out; until next time,

Laurel (like carl)