Thursday, October 6, 2011

“I want to differentiate…but I can’t!”


Kacy Smith 
“I want to differentiate…but I can’t!”

         I say, “Excellent! You can!”

         This weekend I presented on differentiation at the OCTE (Oregon Council of Teachers of English) with my co-diva, Ilana. We were surprised to see how many of our fellow teachers turned out for our presentation!  They were attentive and asked questions during the presentation. When Ilana and I designed the presentation, we made a conscious decision to address roadblocks early, and not wait for questions or save it for the end. Indeed, more than one teacher approached me after the presentation about various impediments to differentiation. We know there is opposition. We know there is resistance. I have been that opposition, that resistance. Once upon my twenties, I told an administrator, “I don’t need to differentiate because I have a little something called high standards.” The fact that I wasn’t corrected shows how much resistance there is.

         With that in mind, and maybe as somewhat of a penance, here are some common roadblocks (and possible solutions) to implementing differentiation in your classroom.

“I can’t differentiate because it take too much time.”
         Yes, it will take time. It will take time and thought up-front, before you make your first xerox or even decorate your room. Remember that this is an investment of time. Also, you can start slow. There are many ways to differentiate, including low-preparation options. One lesson per unit? One product per semester? Even a few high-order questions written with your TAG kids in mind is a start.

“I can’t differentiate because the grading will be crazy.”
         If you can align assessments under the same learning target, that will help. Rubrics help a great deal. Explore your grading software for ways to enter a narrative for parents about the assessment if you have different learning targets or assessments. With my software, I can enter one comment and then “copy first comment down.” Also, don’t grade and enter everything—even if you aren’t differentiating.

“I can’t differentiate because the students will push back/feel bad/ask questions.”
         Even though we teach the whole child, and therefore need to keep the heart as well as the mind in lessons,  we need to be honest with them. I told my students on the first day that they could expect different assignments, groups, due dates, even texts. I told them that I couldn’t help them to the next level unless I met them where they are right now. I too feared resistance and hurt feelings. So far, it seems fine. I am hoping for more feedback for students and parents during conferences.
         You don’t have to group students only by ability. You can group students by interest or learning styles.

“I can’t differentiate because my classroom will be chaotic.”
         If you use flexible groups, it well may be chaos the first couple of times. Keep practicing! The first flexible group activity this year was so loud that the Vice-Principal popped in to make sure there wasn’t mutiny in my classroom! (I guess my second bit of advice is to keep some Advil nearby.) Also, I’ve had to be really clear about behavioral expectations in group settings. We even had to practice the basics, like listening for a signal to move, or using non-verbal signals for assistance.

“I can’t differentiate because how will I know if I’m doing this right?”
         Well, if you figure it out, will you let me know? In a way, I feel a little bit like a fraud sometimes on this blog. I’m learning, experimenting, and making mistakes, just like everyone else.
         Read. Keep up with best practices. Ask colleagues to observe— even an administrator—if you’re feeling brave. Students also provide wonderful and truthful feedback. Don’t judge yourself harshly in the beginning.

In sum, like Carol Tomlinson says, “[S]tart slowly, but start.” Or as Dr. Suess says, “If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along and you'll start happening too.” Go get ‘em, Tiger!

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