Differentiating Instruction

Introduction

Differentiating instruction is not about creating a different lesson plan for every student, nor does it require excessive planning and grading.
It is a mindset and involves making decisions based on recognizing students' unique gifts and challenges.
"Fair doesn't always mean treating everyone equally" - paraphrasing Rick Wormley.

Content Differentiation
- Allow student choice in topics, such as research topics or essay prompts.
- Focus on main learning objectives, not on uniformity.
- Example: A student interested in football wrote an argument essay about his favorite team instead of natural disasters, meeting the learning objective of writing an argument essay.
Process Differentiation
- Modify student grouping (mixed ability vs. same ability).
- Pair English proficient students with English language learners.
- Example: A student who tended to fall asleep was allowed to read at the back of the room, which led others to do the same. The focus was on achieving learning objectives in a way that worked for the student.
Product Differentiation
- Allow different types of products to demonstrate learning (not just essays or multiple-choice tests).
- Example: A student who doodled during class used doodles to create a visual project representing key points discussed.
- Provide students with additional ways to express understanding, such as an extra blank page in tests where they can write additional thoughts.

Building relationships with students to understand their strengths, challenges, and interests.
Demonstrating flexibility in teaching approaches.
Building a strong classroom culture where different treatment of students is understood and accepted as true fairness.
Recognizing that there are countless other ways to support students' unique gifts and challenges—keeping an open mind.

Differentiation doesn't necessarily increase workload but requires understanding and flexibility.
Continuous exploration and openness to new methods to support student learning.