Differentiation

In Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom this week, it was all about introducing differentiation to your classroom, which includes both the students and the parents. I had a few concerns about this idea, and like always, I fail to see how some of these activities can be introduced and used in a kindergarten classroom, but I continued to read.

It was funny that this is the chapter we were assigned for the week, because this is the first week that I saw differentiation truly play out in my pre-internship placement. I was asked to fill their homework folders with a worksheet, however, certain kids were to receive certain worksheets. I put their assigned worksheet in their folders, and continued with the day. However, the teacher addressed that night's homework, and had me explain the different sheets, and what the directions were for each one, and she explicitly told the students that some were getting one type of worksheet because it was more challenging, and others were getting another kind. Overall, there were three different worksheets, all based on our reading groups we helped to create.

I wonder how beneficial it is to let the students know about the differentiation in the classroom, and the reasonings behind it, and how it effects their motivation.

As I read the chapter, it talked about how you can introduce differentiation to your class. Very blatantly, in the first few pages it described the need for telling your students, how to do it, and why. As I read, it gave more ways to talk to the students about it, and suggested that you can introduce it, in a way that helps students see that differentiation is really put in place to benefit them and their learning. There are several strategies they went through, and talked about how you must take the time to put in the ground work for a system like this.

Seeing as I have just entered this classroom in January, like many other systems already in place, I don't know how it was introduced, or how it has become so routine. Or possibly (thought doubtful) this is the first time the students have seen differentiated anything. I am not sure, however none of them reacted in a way that seemed bitter or upset at the type of worksheet they were receiving. I think that this showed me that either they didn't mind, or they knew that it would be beneficial to them.

I still don't know how well the strategies they mentioned would translate to kindergarten, because they are still understanding what school is. Maybe this means that you don't need to explain it as much to them? Or maybe this is the perfect opportunity to give them a good outlook on school from the get-go.

Either way, I think that I wonder less now about if I would introduce it, or even use it, but still wonder about how to apply it to different levels.