InTASC+2+Learning+Differences

No two students are the same, and while teachers do not need to make individual lessons for every student in their classroom, they ought to differentiate for a variety of learning differences. Within the majority of classrooms, teachers need to plan differentiated instruction for three main groups: students with IEPs, gifted and talented students, and English Language Learners (ELL). Because special education services cover a wide range of disabilities, there is no blanket approach to instructing these students. Instead, teachers need to be sensitive to a student’s IEP accommodations and modifications. In general, however, teachers can differentiate by simplifying reading passages, giving alternate assignments, providing graphic organizers, giving step-by-step instructions, or assigning a reduced number of problems. Similar to students with special needs, gifted and talented students need support to reach their full potential. When differentiating content for these students, teachers should allow them to delve deeper into the curriculum instead of simply giving them more work to complete. For ELL students, teachers should remember that they not only have to master the content but also the language of instruction. Therefore, teachers can differentiate by relating material to students’ culture, rephrasing directions, encouraging collaboration, using concrete examples to explain abstract concepts, and allowing students more time to complete activities. Teachers also need to keep realistic expectations in mind for English Language Learners. For example, if the students in my classroom were composing a personal narrative, I should expect and allow for some written accent from second language writers. Instead of correcting every misplaced article or incorrect count/no count noun, I would focus on the ideas and thoughts within the writing, knowing that students will improve grammatically with time, practice, and instruction. In addition to these three subgroups, teachers need to accommodate for the different learning styles in their classrooms. Even in a homogenous ability classroom, there would be audio, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Therefore, in order to appeal to the variety of learning styles in the classroom, teachers should use multiple instruction methods and allow for multiple ways of demonstrating knowledge. Overall, teachers need to be aware of the individual learners within their class and differentiate instruction to meet their needs. For when teachers differentiate, they allow more students to learn and thus succeed. To demonstrate my ability to differentiate in the classroom, I will examine one of the lesson plans I wrote for my internship at Perry Hall Middle School, which can be found in Appendix I of this Wiki.This lesson plan was designed for a standard seventh grade English Language Arts class. Within this class, there are four students with IEPs and two students with 504 plans. To assist my students with IEPs, I modified each lesson component. For example, during the small group activity, I grouped students with similar accommodations together. For the groups that needed a scribe, I ensured that an adult in the classroom was present to help them fill out their chart. Another group was comprised of students who were struggling readers, so I allowed them to use an audio version of the text or ask for a human-reader. Additionally, I provided these groups with page ranges for each plot device, so they could chunk the chapter into manageable parts. I also made sure that I visited their groups frequently to answer questions and provide feedback. Overall, I believe this was successful because students with IEPs received the support they needed to succeed. In addition to differentiating for students with IEPs, I ensured that the lesson used multiple instruction strategies in order to appeal to a variety of learners and give students multiple ways of demonstrating their knowledge. By doing this, I could individualize learning in my classroom, creating an environment where students could be successful.