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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