Getting to Know Your Students: The First Step in Differentiating Instruction

Classroom Differentiation is a buzz word often heard in the education world.  It's not a new concept; in fact, most teachers differentiate their instruction without even knowing they are doing it.  Rick Wormeli provides many basic examples of how teachers differentiate - tactics many people probably overlook as being differentiation.  He says: "If your teacher ever rephrased a question; extended a deadline; provided a few extra examples in order to help you understand something; stood next to you to keep your attention focused on the lesson; regrouped the class according to student interest, readiness, or the way students best learned; gave you a choice among assignments based on something she knew about you; or let you redo a test or project if at first you didn't succeed, she differentiated instruction" (Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom 1).  As you can see, all teachers can differentiate instruction, and do, but to what extent are teachers differentiating their instruction to provide optimal educational output for their students?

Tonya R. Moon suggests that differentiating classroom instruction is becoming more important than ever.  She says, "All students must have not only knowledge and understanding of content, but also the capacity to think critically, analyze, synthesize, and make inferences" (The Role of Assessment in Differentiation 227).  

Knowing that, how does a teacher differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of students with varying "readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles" (Moon 227)?  

The first step is knowing your students.  That's a purposefully broad statement.  You should know each of your students academic capability, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses, home life, etc.  Knowing as much as you can about your students helps teachers tailor their instruction to best suit the individual. The more you learn about your student, the more effectively you can differentiate instruction, and that, I've concluded is an evolving process.  I have noticed how I differentiate instruction from the first to second marking period is vastly different.  At the beginning of the year, I use whole class, broad ways of differentiating instruction, such as assignment choice.  Once I learn more about my class and the students that comprise it, I then take steps to meeting the needs of individual students.  For example, how I assess their assignments may differ, or the tools I provide to help students grasp the content being taught may be different from other students.  I am only able to do that once I learn about my students, which is why I am unable to do that at the very beginning of the school year.

The next step to differentiating instruction is going to be unique to each class period and individual student.  So, unfortunately, there is no systematic next step.  Instead, a teacher must take what they learn about their class and individual students and take strides to better meeting the needs of their students.  That may seem daunting, but there are many resources to help a teacher effectively differentiate their instruction.  For example, simply talk to the at-risk student.  Ask them: How do you like to learn?  What has been confusing you in class and why?  Teachers can even talk to former teachers of particular students; use the insight and data they collected last year to help the student be successful this year.  And, finally, utilize your school's literacy coach, reading specialist, and special education department.  More than likely, those instructors know about your student who is struggling in your class and can help you map out a plan to help them succeed.  They may even be able to attend your class for a couple of days to observe and help you put a plan in place.

Remember, it's one thing to provide basic differentiation in our classroom, but it's another thing to really tailor instruction to meet the needs of your individual students. That, I believe, is where the art of teaching comes into play.  Teachers have to have a way of accessing their students so that they can learn about them and effectively plan to meet their needs.  Today's world demands that our young people have the ability to analyze, synthesize, and create, so it's our duty as teachers to ensure all of our students are capable of doing just that upon graduation.