Education is never a one-size-fits-all endeavor—which is why teachers not only have to assess their students' individual needs, but also provide individual learning solutions that help their students to succeed regardless of their individual skill level. But, differentiating lesson plans is never easy—and many teachers spend hours each week making sure their in-class lessons and supplemental work is sufficient for every one of their students. With that in mind, we polled several teachers and found out how they individualize their lessons and assignments to assure for each student's success. Here are their ideas:"When I have a student that seems particularly advanced, I try to provide them opportunities to explore the curriculum on a deeper level. One thing I do is help them to find online programs—like Plato's Enrichment Programs—that they can work with at home or when they've finished their class work that help them to explore concepts on a deeper level. "-- Megan M. 8th grade Science teacher, Austin, TX
"I try to create group assignments that allow for more advanced students to team up with struggling students. Peer instruction and peer motivation work really well for my kids." -- Katie S. 5th grade teacher, Louisville, KY
"I let my students tell me what they think would work for them. Oftentimes, they know themselves well enough to understand their own learning style and they come up with great suggestions." -- Lynn V. 12th grade English teacher, San Mateo, CA
"Reading, reading, reading. I've found that by encouraging my students to read, read, read their skills in all subject areas (even math!) improve." Tasha N. 4th grade teacher, Boulder, CO
"I always go online to find enrichment programs for my students. There are so many great resources—from online games to curriculum programs—that help my students without taking a bunch of my time." Matt R. 10th grade history teacher, San Antonio, TX
"I get together with other teachers who teach the same struggling student and we create an enrichment plan together—that way none of us shoulder all of the workload and all of us are on the same page in helping that student." Maria M. 11th grade Spanish teacher, Seattle, WA
"When I noticed a student falling behind, I always do some sort of a diagnostic assessment of their skills before diving in with a solution. I've been surprised many times to find that my expectations for the student's performance and the students' actual skills are very different. By doing an assessment, I'm able to better determine a student's individual needs." -- Adam F. 9th grade algebra teacher, Portland, OR
How do you create lessons that differentiate instruction for varying skill levels? Tell us and you could win $200 and a Flip Video camera. Click here to learn more and to apply for the grant.
Information for this blog taken from We are Teachers: http://www.weareteachers.com/
Copyright 2011
