  |
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Posted by Susan Hyde Sep 13, 2007 |
In a perfect world, students and teachers would be matched by personality, learning style, and ability level. Teachers would “get into the head” of each student and make learning relevant and fun. Since classrooms are diverse environments with students who have different learning needs, how can a teacher support the requirements of all?
There are, of course, no simple answers, but skilled teachers utilize multiple strategies:
- Differentiation of Instruction: Advanced students shouldn't have to wait for everyone else to catch up any more than a child who is struggling should be rushed. Catch students where they are. Challenge students who have already mastered the course objective of telling time with problems that require an understanding of elapsed time. Likewise, language arts instructors can provide activities like a student newspaper that students to write at an individualized level while contributing to a class project. History teachers might allow students to select from thematic books of various reading levels.
- Group Learning for Discovery: Although it is rarely a good idea to evaluate groups of students on one common product, a group learning activity such as a math game, science experiment, or literary debate will encourage students to learn through communication
- Teaching and Learning Modalities: Learning objectives should be met using auditory-sequential, kinesthetic, and visual-spatial activities for students with different learning styles.
- Busy and Quiet Activities: Integrate both active and quiet activities for each learning objective. While some students may learn best in noisy, sensory rich environments, others may find such environments exhausting.
- Classroom Volunteers: Make use of room parents to assist advanced or struggling students. Provide specific strategies to support the specific objectives of the lesson so that assistants understand the goal of the instruction.
One classroom really can fit all!