My Time in the Field

I learned a lot in my field work. I learned that not every student is the same and they definitely don't have the same learning styles, needs, or likes. My students all challenged me in their own ways. I worked really close to my lowest students, they needed more one-on-one attention. I saw amazing growth in one boy in particular. He blossomed in some thing with the right instruction and guidance. There were many students that shocked me in the three weeks I was there. I had to teach a math unit and some literacy lessons as well. There were a lot of surprises and changes that I had to make to my original plans.
Instead of looking at the individual math lesson plans the entire unit can be analyzed. In each of my lessons I included a differentiated scale or a salsa scale. The salsa scale is my way of determining a student's understanding and feelings of the math concept that was taught. There are three levels in the salsa meter, hot, medium, and mild. At the midpoint of my less I would stop at an appropriate place and ask my class to rate their understanding or how they felt on the salsa scale. If they felt that they understood the information fully and didn’t have any questions they fell into the HOT category. If they still needed clarification of had questions they fell into the MEDIUM category. Last, if they had no understanding and needed to be retaught they would fall into the MILD category. They would show me how they did this with their hands. They would raise their hand high if they were hot, they would put there hand a little lower and give me a sort of get it shake of their hand, and if they were mild they put their hand on their desk. For my hot students I assigned them individual work. If they finished it quickly I provided an enrich activity they could do in pairs. The medium students would work on the back table with me and I would go through each problem with them. If many students in the class showed that they were medium I would model more problems and give better instruction. I never had any mild students, but if I did I would reteach them. I determined the majority of my differentiation in math based on their understanding and feelings.
    My literacy lesson plans were made with very little differentiation. I have a plan for my fast finishers and the lower students. The fast finishers were given more activities to work on in partnerships or individually. The lower students or those that need more instruction would be paired up for activities. In the Text structure lesson plan for literacy I included key words that could be listed on the board for the lower students. In the fluency lesson plan I would want to divide my students into tiers for the reading groups. I would choose the groups according to each individual students reading level and I would take into account their interest or preference. There would be at least three different readers theater groups and three different stories according to their levels. All the groups would be asked to perform the story in front of the class, but there would be accommodations for each group. The lowest group would have their story in hand when they perform and can read from it as they act it out. The middle group can have their story, but would expected to look at the audience and say some lines without looking at their story. Also they would need to add some actions and movement to the story. The highest group would not be allowed to have their story in hand, they must memorize their parts for the performance. They would also be asked to act out the scenes with movement and actions. Another requirement could be that they must make costumes and props. For the text structure lesson plan I would once again set up tiers. The lowest tier would be asked to read the information provided and fill out a simple graphic organizer and write a one paragraph summary or information sheet. The middle group would do the same graphic organizer and write a three paragraph information paper from the reading and further research. The highest group would be asked to create a presentation along with a paper to present to the class.
I feel that my changes would help with those various students and their needs. The more help we can provide for students that better they can do in school. Having specific expectations for the whole class is important, but I feel that allowing those students that struggle a way to complete their assignments is better than letting them fail. The math additions I made or would make could be used to create a better understanding of information for my lower students. They would have the same work as the other class members, but it would be taught in a different setting and in a different way. I noticed that as soon as I worked with them in a more one-on-one setting they understood the material and could work out their math problems. Those students needed a more specific teaching strategy to succeed. Another strategy I didn’t talk about too much is the use of whiteboards during instruction. Instead of just direct instructing the class I would model a math strategy on the whiteboard and the class would help me solve it. Once I feel they understand the basics of the strategy I would assign a math problem and they would do it on their own whiteboards. This allowed me to check their understanding, if they were still struggling I would send them back to their board and work through their problem again. This was also a way for me to gauge their understanding and base the next part of my lesson off their work. I used this as my summative assessment.
    I learned a lot about the importance of differentiation in the classroom. In class we hear about different strategies, but until you are in the field and working you won’t see how important differentiation is. It is an important part of teaching. You cannot teach effectively without the use of differentiation. If I want my students to do well I must teach to them individually and to their needs.
  

Tools for Thinking

Like every good mechanic, handyman, or all around man, we need our tools to do our work. As teachers our screwdriver, drill, and hammer are our organizers and notes. We use these tools to help develop learning students. As for Differentiation the same can be said. These tools are at our disposal we just need to use them. Some specific ones that are listed in the textbook are:

• Graphic organizers: Used to organize information and thoughts
• Notes: Used to jot down important points in a lesson
• Think dots: These can be used for dual purposes - tiering and review
• Learning contracts
• Learning Menus: This is a fun and active way to give students options, but keep them on their right level
• Think-Tac-Toe
• RAFT: Used for writing
• Journals: I am a big advocate for this idea

There are many more, but I felt these few were the most useful and need to be mentioned. Students could really take to any of these tools. The one I focused o most was journals. I use a writers journal and a science journal. Both are interactive and promote thinking. A journal could be used in math as well. They could create a word journal or dictionary as well.
Tools are meant to be used, not sit in the corner rusting. Use them, don't waste them!

Sing to Your Gravy

How do we create a positive effect on students? James Stronge shared some research in the textbook. Below are a few I felt were good examples:

• Students consistently want teachers who respect them, listen, to them, show empathy toward them, help them work out their problems, and become human by sharing their own lives and ideas with their students.
• Teachers' enthusiasm for learning and for their subject matter is an important factor in student motivation that, in turn, is closely linked with student achievement.
• Effective teachers accept responsibility for student outcomes.
• Effective teachers know and understand their students in terms of abilities, achievement, learning preferences, and needs.
• Students achieve at higher rates when instruction focuses on meaningful conceptualization of facts.

That is just a small part of all the research he offers. There is so much we can do as teachers to help our students grow in a positive environment.
"It's hard to care because we don't know how to see through someone else's eyes, to speak someone else's language, to make the world better for a child whose world is out of control. IT's hard because there are too many students to connect with. It's hard because there is barely time to survive between the race that begins with the first bell and ends so long after the last bell rings. It's hard because people at home need so much of us too, and there seems never to be enough of us to go around, even for those people who are at ground zero in our lives, let alone those who inhabit the perimeters of our lives."
There is some much pulling at us every moment of the day. How can we juggle all the responsibilities put upon us. We are in charge of a couple dozen children, it is our job to help them become good members of society. It's a big order to fill with in such a small amount time. But if we allow ourselves to fall in love with what we do, we will be reborn countless times, almost always in a form stronger and more fully human that one that preceded it.
We have two challenges we need to face:

1. We need to cultivate passion for what we do.
2. We need to remove our protective armor and allow our students to shape us, reflecting on and learning from what we see. 

To be reshaped by what we do, is to become one with it. We can use the same ingredients as another great teacher, but without love we can not make it the same. We need to sing to our "gravy" or students, show them the love we have. One "loaf" at a time, each bread needs the time required to raise before we cook it.
How do we begin when there is no paved road for us to travel? Simple, we just begin. We need to trust in ourselves and our students. Be open to change and becoming the teacher and person we need to be!

Keep Moving Forward

Objectives or expectations are important to all lesson plans. The plan for any differentiated lessons need to have these aspects if you want your students to understand and do well during the lesson. There are some keys actions or tools for teachers when writing a lesson that come from the textbook:

• Explain what the students should know
• Explain what students should understand
• Explain what students should understand
• Also provide an essential question to guide exploration

It's important to be focused and engaging in all lessons. The textbook once again gives some great tips for doing just that:

• Focus student products around significant problems and issues
• Use meaningful audiences
• Help students discover how ideas and skill are useful in the world
• Provide choices that ensure focus
• Look for fresh ways to present and explore ideas
• Share your experiences and invite students to do the same

There also needs to be support for demanding curriculum and instruction:

• Use tired approaches
• Incorporate complex instruction
• Use a variety of rubrics to guide quality
• Provide learning contracts at appropriate times
• Aim high
• Take a "no excuses" stance
• Become computer savvy
• Help support realize success is the result of effort
• Use the new American lecture format
• Designate a "keeper of the book"
• Like a note taker for those that are absent. This allows students to get caught up on assignments with the help from other students.
• Try think dots
• Directly teach strategies for working successfully with text
• Use think aloud
• Use small group instruction as a regular part of instructional cycles
• Establish peer networks for learning
• Promote language proficiency
• Use weekend study buddies
• Bags for struggling learners to take home for the weekend. It will contain instructions, books, or materials for students to use over the weekend.
• Make peer-critique or peer-review sessions a regular feature
• Cue and coach student responses
• Team with resource specialists

This chapter had so many good ideas to help support students and help them reach their potential. I especially liked the think dots, weekend buddies, and keeper of the book ideas. Your student can all be successful with the right support and direction. Keep looking forward, but don't forget those great experiences that can be used too.

Be Your Own Teacher!

Differentiation, or an important part of differentiation, is like a wedding cake. There are many layers and they are all different sizes or cuts. They all have the same ingredients, but are different levels. A good teacher is one that teaches the WHOLE class from bottom to the top. It is also teaching each child at the level they, as individuals, require. It should be engaging for all levels!

The Layers

The bottom layer is those students that need basic, very supportive work.

The middle layers could be one cake or more. These layers become more and more independent as they move up.

The top layer is the most independent students in the class. They are more capable of doing work on their own.

 

*Below is an example of how tiering can be applied to a lesson:

 

 

It is also like a stew. Students won't stay in the same place all day. They need to be part of the "stew", providing something unique and flavorful.

 

The other part of my class the other day was a presentation from a teacher named Mr. Youd. He talked to us about morning meetings. He tries to make his meetings upbeat, positive, and exciting everyday.

Goals! He has his class set a goal for the day and they talk about their goal the day before and if they had met it. An important part of the morning meeting is giving students time to talk, share, and be excited.

Leadership! He doesn't set up any group leaders, the power needs to remain with him so if changes need to be made he can do so quickly and without problems.

Games! Games need to change regularly and how the students are teamed up. Start a collection of games and right down any new rules or adaptations made to a normal game.

Sharing! Doing random shares keeps things light and different. There isn't a mundane feeling in the class. They need to be things that gets the students thinking. There can be a few people sharing or the whole class. It allows students a chance to express their feelings and open up.

Manners! This may be the most important part of morning meetings! Rules are great, but if you can teach your students manners all the other rules just fall into place without being said. Be that boss that is a friend and promotes good actions, instead of a boss that yells at you for lame reason. No one likes to be told what to do or have strict rules placed upon them.

Poems, Music, Character Ed are some great additional tools in morning meeting. Just keep it you, your style. Be your own Teacher!

 

Here is a fabulous website he gave us: www.mrsgolds.com

Easy is Not Always the Best course

Chapter five of the Differentiation textbook explains the importance of using curriculum and instruction as a vehicle for teaching.
Is there such a thing as a good teacher compared to a bad teacher? I personally think there are teachers that are good at connecting information to their students lives. They are those teachers that act as a bridge to good knowledge for students. A 'bad' teacher can be defined as those teachers that teacher a subject, while those 'good' teachers teach students a subject.
How can curriculum and instruction be used as a vehicle?

• Important "We cannot teach the breadth of the entire world and at the same time achieve any depth of understanding" The world is expanding and is information.
• What we study is essential to the structure of the discipline
• What we study provides a roadmap toward expertise in a discipline
• how can we use it?
• What we study is essential to building student understanding
• Avoid "coverage" and look for "uncoverage" of information
• make it full of meaning and applicable to life.
• What we study balances knowledge, understanding, and skill
• curriculum can be a mile wide and only an inch deep, it won't provide real learning

• Focused "No more building sugar cube igloos without it connecting to essential knowledge."
• Whatever we do is unambiguously aligned with the articulated and essential learning goals
• Whatever we do is designed to get us where we need to go
• Both the teacher and students know why we doing what we're doing
• Both the teacher and students know bigger picture knowledge, understanding, and skill

• Engaging "Students need a feeling of accomplishment or satisfaction while enjoying their work."
• Students most often find meaning in their work
• Students most often find the work intriguing
• Students see themselves and their world in the work
• Students see value to others in the work
• Students find the work provokes their curiosity
• Students often find themselves absorbed by the work

• Demanding "We believe each person knows quite clearly what it means to do one's best, and that everyone, given a chance, would like to savor that experience as often as possible."
• The work is most often a bit beyond the reach of each learner
• Student growth is nonnegotiable
• no watering down information
• Standards for work and behavior are high
• Students are guided in working and thinking like professionals
• There is no "loose" time

• Scaffolded "Raise the celling of performance for each learner."
• The teacher teaches for success
• Criteria for success are clear to students
• Criteria for classroom operation and student behavior are clear to students
• Varied materials support growth of a range of learners
• Varied modes of teaching support a variety of learners
• Varied avenues to learning support a variety of learners
• Small and large group instruction focuses on varied learner needs
• Varied peer support mechanisms are consistently available
• The teacher uses modeling, organizers, and other strategies to point out success

Two principles lie at the heart of envisioning the role of curriculum and instruction in creating ties with students:

1. The opportunity to be shaped by rich, defensive curriculum ought to belong to every learner.
2. Learners need to interact with curriculum in ways that work for them.

Curriculum and instruction need to be engaging, important, demanding, scaffold, and focused. To be that "good" teacher your students need all they element in their lessons. They need to know they are important and what they learn is important!

Help Them Grow Their Wings

How do you show your students what you feel about them? In chapter 4 of the Differentiation textbook it provides some good examples of what your students should feel or hear. Create that environment and space where they can grow and spread their wings. Don't stunt them with your own doubts and fears. They have so much potential!

• You are unique and valuable as individuals, and we are important as a class.
• We are here to help you find and develop abilities as individuals and as a class.
• Our goal is to help each person and our class become as capable as a possible.
• This is an important goal, and work we do to achieve it must be both important and challenging.
• The time we have to achieve our goal is valuable.
• Therefore, we have to figure out together how to work in the most effective and efficient ways we can.
• We'll need to learn about one another and ourselves, so we know where we need to go and how we're doing in getting there.
• We'll need to determine guidelines for working, so we can reach our goal, both individually and as a class.
• We'll need to figure out working routines that enable us to succeed in reaching our goals, both individually and as a class.
• We'll need to develop support systems to ensure that we continually grow, both individually and as a class.
• Like all important goals, our goal will require investment and persistence.

"You'll see those things in me as your teacher. I'll expect to see them in you as individuals and in our class as a whole. I need you to join me in making our class work for each of us." This is called a Map of Thought. It is the thought process that teachers can follow when weighing decision and actions.
The environment of the classroom is an important aspect when teaching. It is the first messenger of how learning will be in the class. The teacher is to act as the primary architect of the physical attributes and the climate.
In one of the scenarios Mr. Atcheson uses flash cards every couple weeks to gauge how his students are doing. On one side they write how they are doing in the class and on the other side they write something about themselves that they think he will find interesting and useful. He uses this as a way to build bonds with his students. The better he knows them the better he can teach them.
Ways to promote a positive classroom:

• Study Students Cultures
• Convey Status
• Commend Creativity
• Make Room for All Kinds of Learners
• Help Students Know About One Another (Word Jars, Idea Jars, Question Boxes)
• Celebrate Success
• Hold Goal-Setting Conference
• Use Dialogue Journals
• Incorporate Teacher Talk Groups in Lesson Plans

The book also offers some great rules or guidelines for classroom operation:

1. We will show respect for people, their ideas, and their property
2. We will work hard to ensure our own growth of others
3. We will persist, even when things are difficult and uncertain
4. We will accept responsibility for the quality of our work and for our behaviors and actions

Other strategies that will enhance classroom operation:

• Time is Valuable: use spare moments well
• Fair is ensuring all learners get what they need to succeed
• Teach up, work up!

Routines that support flexible teaching

• Use Visual Cues
• Pre-establish Groups
• Use Goal Cards Regularly
• Teach for Smooth Transitions

Supports for learner success:

• Vary Materials
• Use Graphic Organizers to Help Structure and Extend Thinking
• Provide Survival Packets
• Use Participation Prompts
• Build Language Bridges

Ways to help with shared responsibilities:

• Use Evaluation Checklists
• Involve Students in Scheduling Decisions
• Engage Students in Assessing Their Own Progress
• Help Students Learn to Set Their Own Academic Goals

There are so many fabulous tools the book provides for making a classroom positive and effective for your students. Success is important, any help is good help!

Some Insights...

Differentiation can be defined in a classroom by eight traits. A truly differentiating teacher needs to have most if not all these traits in their classroom. These traits, known as Hallmarks, provide the essential characteristics a differentiating classroom has.

Hallmarks

1. A strong LINK between assessment and instruction. These two are inseparably from each other, they create a strong CHAIN in the differentiated classroom. The links of that chain are: 

• assessing students knowledge, understanding, and skill in the both formal and informal ways
• Making ongoing adjustments to instructional plans to ensure progression towards individual and group goals.
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. Here is the time to give clear instructions so teachers can focus on essential learning goals, but with varying degrees of complexity. BE CLEAR!!
3. Shared RESPONSIBILITY for the classroom is between TEACHER and STUDENTS, in the goal of making it work for everyone. Like a ant farm, every member of the colony makes a contribution.
   
   Even the smallest addition is important to the bigger picture. It's a cycle of teacher helping students and students providing important contributions. With out the second Hallmark this one can not happen!
4. Individual GROWTH is emphasized as central to classroom success. The teacher acts as a gardener to their grove of flowers. Each flower is different and unique, but they each act as an important member of the garden. The teacher needs to provide all they need (a good home, water, sunlight) so that each flower can grow. But it's also the responsibility of the other flowers to help support those that are not at their best for the time being.
   
5. A "WAY UP" usually through multiple and varied pathways, and never a "WAY OUT". A differentiated task in the classroom is to provide a support system that helps students "navigate" the unknown parts of their work/world. This means teachers need to "teach up" (scaffolding) and not "teach down" to students. At least offer two different options that can happen in the classroom.
   
6. "Respectful" and EGNAGING WORK for all students. Differentiation is finding those pathways each child can learn best on. A teacher needs to aim for the same goal, but the way there will be unique for all students.
   
   Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the porridge chair and beds each needed to be specific for her. the porridge can be linked to what students take in and the chair can be linked to how they act.
7. FLEXIBLE grouping. Provide a variety of groups for students through out the day. They need to learn to work with other students and can meet more of their needs. It gives them more of a purpose in the class if they can be part of many different things.
8. FLEXIBLE use of time, space, and materials. Arrange the classroom that will most beneficial to the whole class.

All of these Hallmarks provide useful tools and important aspects of a differentiated classroom.

"Fair is not everyone getting the same, but fair is everyone getting what they need"

 

Insights from an insightful teacher!

The final part of the post I want to talk about another Differentiating blog written by the darling Leslie! She posts the cutest quotes. Her posts are quick and to the point, she only says what she deems important. She posted about setting your expectations high for your students. Don't underestimate your students they will surprise you. Encourage them and let them know you believe in their abilities! One quote I thought was beautiful from her blog was one by Thomas Jefferson.

Leslie I hope you know that I think you are fabulous and are going to make a FANTASTIC teacher!



From Cannot to Can!

I want to take a look at the fabulous textbook once again. I recently read chapter three and I felt that many things in the chapter needed noting.
Teaching individual students and becoming connected to them can so easily be excused away. We can say that there isn't enough time in the day. There are too many students to maintain a connection to each. There is only one level in the textbook in the class. There aren't enough materials to do I want. Students don't come to us, they can't learn independently. The Job is all consuming. There are many, many more excuses out there. I could find my favorite excuse and it could be very valid, but how does having that excuse make me a better teacher? If I lake in being a normal teacher how can I expect to be a teacher of Differentiation? We need to push past all these excuses and make that effort!! It's sooooo important, our students are counting on us to be their guides, friends, and mentors.
We are the dispensers of information to our students, but we need to be more than just that. We need to design our classroom to be places that democracy, dignity, and diversity can be forged. Meier promoted this ideal. She goes on to say, we need to look beyond what we cannot teach to what we can teach! She said that her faculty was not remarkable because they are more gifted that other teachers or because they went to more exclusive colleges. They are remarkable, because they live what they believe. They say to themselves, "I want to be a leader in creating a place where each of you becomes more keenly aware of the possibilities in yourself, the people around you, and the power of knowledge. In this place, I want us to find together a good way to live." We don't need a road map to direct us, we just need to find North and forge our own path with our students. Create a unity in the class and work along side students.
A key component it how we respond to our students needs. There are five key points to focus on:

1. Invitation
• I have respect for who you are and who you can become
• I want to know you*
• You are unique and valuable
• I believe in you*
• I have time for you*
• I learn when I listen to you
• This place is yours too
• We need you here*
2. Opportunity
• I have important things for you to do here today
• The things I ask you to do are worthy things*
• The things I ask you to do are often daunting
• The things I ask you to do open new possibilities for you*
• the things I give you to do here help you become all you can be*
• You have specific roles that us all more efficient and effective
3. Investment
• I work hard to make this place work for you
• I work to make this place reflect you*
• I enjoy thinking about what we do here
• I love to find new paths to success*
• It is my job to help you succeed*
• I am your partner in growth*
• I will do what it takes to ensure your growth
4. Persistence
• You're growing, but you're not finished growing
• When one route doesn't work, there are others we can find
• Let's figure out what works best*
• There are no excuses here, but there is support*
• There is no finish line in learning
5. Reflection
• I watch you and listen to you carefully and systematically
• I make sure to use what I learn to help you learn better*
• I try to see things through your eyes*
• I continually ask, "How is this partnership working?"*
• I continually ask, "How can I make this better?"

*I love these phrases and supports. Students need to hear and feel all these things in the classroom as often as possible.
There was an idea I really liked from the book, it was about collecting troubles in a trouble basket. In Esme Codell's book (I mentioned in the previous post) she talks about three things she must do in her class each day. 1. Say good morning to every single child in a real and chipper voice. She will wait for them to say it back. 2. She collects "troubles" in a "Trouble Basket", a big green basket into which students will act out unloading their worries at home so they can work. 3. Each student must give her a word at the beginning of the day, it can be any word and she keeps it in an envelop on the board. Preferably it should be a word they heard and don't know the meaning of it. They go over the words when they do private reading conferences.
Give each student an opportunity- work in pursuit of a dream. I love that thought! I want to use dreams as a theme in my class, every person needs a dream in life. This phrase specifically means enlivening the classroom and minds. Creating experiences we would want for us, for our children, or something we experienced that we treasure.
These teachers are invested and invested teachers:

• Share their thoughts about the classroom with their students
• Make links with students lives outside the classroom
• Act as mentors, advocates, and partners for students
• Personally engaged in what they ask their students to do

We need to provide the roots and wings for learners to embrace their dreams and ideals. We need to see that every students is unlike every other and that we need to form ties with those students!

Educating Esme

Impetus: The force or energy with which a body moves. Energy, every classroom needs to have this important component. According to chapter 2 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom students need this term when differentiation is being used. Abraham Maslow taught that humans need their basic needs met before any energy to learning can be made.
Emotions are more important than learning! Or in other words, emotional needs trump any need to learn. Have you ever noticed that when you are overwhelmed or anxious or stressed you have a harder time remembering basic tasks or knowledge? It's because all your energy is going into what stress is on your mind. You mind is blocking the doorway into learning. For students they don't' arrive saying, "Please teach me math and science." They instead come thinking, "Will I be accepted here? Will my thoughts be important to the class? Can I contribute anything?"

Learners have five key needs:

1. Affirmation
• I am accepted here
• I am safe here
• People listen to me here
• People know how I am doing
• People believe in me
• My interests and perspectives are noticed and acted on
2. Contribution
• I make a difference in this place
• I bring abilities and perspectives that are unique
• I help others and the class 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 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 the growth of others
• I often accomplish thing here I didn't believe were possible

I think that people as a whole need all of this in all aspects of their lives, but children need it the most. They are still in their years of trying to figure out the world and their place in it. The better these needs are met the better they will do in the world. They can be connected far better to the people around them.

Differentiation mean all students may have the same basic needs, those will manifest themselves in different ways, depending on many factors. All needs come at different times and we can never know when those times are. It's important for us to have a plan for when they do.
The book talks about a dairy written by Esme Raji Codell called Educating Esme. It is the story of a first year teacher in a Chicago public school.
"Fresh-mouthed and free-spirited, the irrepressible Madame Esmé—as she prefers to be called—does the cha-cha during multiplication tables, roller-skates down the hallways, and puts on rousing performances with at-risk students in the library. Her diary opens a window into a real-life classroom from a teacher’s perspective. While battling bureaucrats, gang members, abusive parents, and her own insecurities, this gifted young woman reveals what it takes to be an exceptional teacher. 

Heroine to thousands of parents and educators, Esmé now shares more of her ingenious and yet down-to-earth approaches to the classroom in a supplementary guide to help new teachers hit the ground running. " This explanation comes from Amazon.com

It is an excellent example of the needs of students. It's easy to look at the things you haven't done, but it's better to look toward the future and embrace fantastic opportunity we have as teachers to shape lives and make a difference. We can make the choice now to work on those needs our students have!

A Little More On Morning Meetings

A comment on morning meetings....
I have already talked about what morning meetings are and their benefits. They are this fantastic tool teachers can use in their classroom to promote class unity and bonds among the class. The other day three  of my classmates and myself presented our version of a morning meeting. Each of use took a part of the meeting. We decided to use Disney as our theme. I love Disney as a whole, it promotes dreaming and seeing beyond our front door.
Brianna Call was in charge of greetings. She created a darling introduction song based off of The Toy Story. It went as followed:

"You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me

You've got trouble, I've got them too

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

We'll stick together and see it through

You've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me"

 

Ashleigh was in charge of the sharing time and she did a lightning share. She had three people sign up to share about their favorite Disney movie. Each person shared what movie they liked most and why. They allowed the whole class to ask three questions about their share and that was all.

Leah was in charge of the activity. She created a Disney style Celebrity game. At the beginning of class she gave each person a red or orange bracelet creating two teams. The Celebrity game is played similarly to charades. Each team has one person from the their team that tries to get the whole team to guess as many Disney characters in one minute. The game was broken into three rounds:

1. The first was that they could only use descriptive words for the character. They couldn't say their name or any nick names.
2. The second round was similar to the first, but they could only use one word to describe the character. Again they couldn't say any names.
3. The last round was purely charades. They had to act out the character for the team.

The last part of our morning meeting was the News and Announcements. That was done by me. I created a poster that had four Disney ecosystems. As the students walked in they were to mark which ecosystem they would like to live in. For my time I talked about what each ecosystem was and what movies they could be found in. I also passed around two other ecosystems that were not on the poster. We also graphed the different ecosystems according to everyone preference. I thought that this part could lead well into a science, social studies, or math lesson and transition the class from morning meeting to actually class time.   

Ecosystems I used:

 

Morning Meetings with a theme can be so fun and students may be able to relate to subjects better. Everyone knows Disney and it could be used in a variety of ways.

Taming the Fox

"Schools are like airport hubs; student passengers arrive from many different backgrounds for widely divergent destinations. Their particular takeoffs into adulthood will demand different flight plans."
This quote comes from Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson. I think this quote is the perfect example of what a school is like. Each student passenger is from a different place and are going to different places. It is our jobs as teachers to direct them to the correct terminal and their ultimate destination. I have only read the first couple chapters so far, but I have made many notes about what makes for a good differentiation classroom.
I pulled from chapter one a few good points:

• Teachers must take into account who they are teaching and what they are teaching
• Who - Children
• What - Fun interesting information that needs to apply to their individual lives at all possible.
• Differentiating is responsive instruction
• Direct instruction is a teachers easy go to if they are teaching a boring subject, a new subject, or they just have no interest or value in the subject. It has it's use and it is a great instruction model, but if you want a differentiated classroom you need to get your students involved. They need to have a feeling of involvement and motivation to learn.
• Know your student
• From this statement I get the imagine of a spread sheet. On the sheet is a list of students with their pictures. Each student has a small biography listing their birthday, favorites, and family information. But this is only part of the information a teacher needs on each of her students. Differentiation goes beyond the basic information, you need to know their learning background. You almost need to become a private detective and investigate each student thoroughly. Getting all the "dirt" on them and creating a profile that you can turn to.

There are four student traits that a teacher must address to ensure effective and efficient learning:

1. Readiness: Student's understanding, knowledge, and skill related to a particular sequence of learning.
1. the use of readiness instead of ability is key to a students learning. Readiness can vary over time and morph if needed.
2. Interest: Topics or pursuits that evoke curiosity and passion in a leaner.
1. Passion, I love that word. It's vibrant and it evokes a strong emotion when used.
2. This is not the time to lecture about the use of electricity, but to get the students investigating the uses electricity has in everyday use. Bring your lesson to life!
3. Learning Profile: How students learn best.
1. Take gender, culture, intelligence, and preference when you create a lesson plan. You obviously can't include every child's preference, but venture out to something new in one lesson and try something else another time.
4. Affect: How students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole.
1. Emotions!!!! Key to effective teaching!

The Little Prince

I remember reading this book in the seventh grade and not understanding its complexity and uniqueness. Because of this wonderful book Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom I have gotten a better glimpse of what The Little Prince offers to the reader. There is a passage on a part of the book called Taming the Fox. The Little Prince meets a fox in his adventure and attempts to play with it, but the Fox being a wild creature can't be tamed into playing with the Prince. If we put ourselves the teachers in the Princes place and our students into the position of the Fox, how can we expect them to work with us when we haven't tamed them? The Prince claims he is too busy to tame a Fox, but with some good advice is told "One only understands the things one tames". It takes time, patience, listening to tame each other. We must work with our students and they with us. It is a partnership of learning and grow.

 

 

Have you ever thought about the inner workings of a clock? How do all the pieces work together? When one piece stops working how does that affect the mechanics as a whole? The other model the chapter gave was the Cogs of Differentiation. The three work together and as a whole cog it stands independently.

The first cog is what the student seeks in the classroom, they require specific mechanics:

• Affirmation
• Contribution
• Power
• Purpose
• Challenge

The second cog is how the teacher responds to the student, they use specific tools. They can be used as a sort of compass that will help teachers make decisions to adapt their instruction for student needs:

• Invitation
• Opportunity
• Investment
• Persistence
• Reflection

The final cog is the use of curriculum and instruction as a vehicle for teaching. It needs tools like the other cogs:

• Importance
• Focused
• Engaging
• Demanding
• Scaffold

The importance of using these models when preparing for a differentiated classroom are imperative. To become a successful teacher it's not only important to know your student, but to try to understand what they are asking from you. They are looking for the guidance we just need to provide it for them in ways that they can relate and understand!

Morning Meetings at Their Best

The other day we were fortunately enough to hear from Vineyard Elementary principal Sylvia Allen. She is an amazing principal and pervious teacher! She was a fifth grade teacher when I was attending Scera Park Elementary. I was not fortunate enough to have her, but I have heard amazing stories and experiences from my friends that were in her class. My little brother was lucky and had her when he was in fifth grade. She made the biggest difference in his life. He was a very sickly boy and had to miss many days at school. Sylvia was so amazing that she would come to our home and teach him one-on-one. She prepared all his lessons and homework each day. She is a one of a kind persona and teacher. I only hope I can be as amazing as she is. She set the standards high for future teachers.

In class she gave us this amazing handout of morning meetings. Even now as a principal she has her entire school do morning meetings once a week together and everyday in individual classes. On the first page is an outline of how a morning meeting goes in her class:

• Class Creed
• Greeting (Monday only)
• Pledge
• Memorization
• Class Business
• Vegetables (Things that are just good for us like what they are going to do in class that day)
• Desserts (Something very specific they did well the day before)
• Medicine (When there is a problem I can't fix any other way. It's nasty, but it cures our ills)
• News
• Share
• Class Cheer

This is an amazing structure! She has implemented this so well.
Something not listed there is the idea of STORMS. These storms are the upsets in life. Instead of having her students come to her with all their problems she set up this idea of storms. Each student uses a basic grading scale to decide what kind of storm their heartache would be.

1. Sunny Day
2. Light Rain
3. Heavy Rain
4. Hale, Lightning and Thunder
5. Tornado
6. Typhoon

It puts the responsibility back in the students laps. They are in charge of how they will handle a situation and solve their own conflicts.
this morning meeting set up is unique and from what she said unified her class. She allowing her students to use their accountability and independence daily. It has many different aspects and tools that will help any student.

The last part I want to mention is the class creed she shared with us. It is beautiful and I think it will touch anyone's heart.

Now I am the VOICE 
I will LEAD not follow
I will BELIEVE not doubt
I will CREATE not destroy
I am a force for GOOD
I am a LEADER
DEFY THE ODDS
Set a NEW STANDARD
Step Up! Step Up! Step Up!

 

Differentiation...what is it?

According to differentiationintheclassroom.com differentiation is defined as:
Differentiated instruction allows each student to learn at the depth, complexity, and pace that is most beneficial to him/her.  Differentiating curriculum and instruction is a rich and effective approach to use when providing for the needs of all students, including those with special education needs such as students with learning disabilities, gifted and talented students, and English language learners.

The philosophy of differentiation includes structuring classrooms so that there are provisions for:

• Different ways to take in, work with, and learn information and different ways for students to show what they know;

• Different amounts of time to complete the work;

• Different approaches due to language acquisition and cultural differences;

• Different levels of thinking, readiness, skills, and/or ability;

• Different assignments for students in the same classroom; and

• Different means to assess what has been learned.

What does this mean for my and your class's?
Well is simply means that each classroom needs to be engaging and beneficial to EACH student. Every child should have a meaningful experience. It may not always be possible as teachers to meet every need of every child, but it is our jobs to meet as many as possible.

This blog is dedicated to finding ways and tools that can help differentiation in my classroom.