CHAPTER 6

Strategies for Managing a Differentiated Classroom

Why a Differentiated Classroom?

• Managing a differentiated classroom is not always going to be the easiest task, but in the long run it is what is best for the students educationally and allows the teacher to completely reach each and every student in the class.

17 Key Strategies To COMBAT the challenges of using differentiated

instruction in your class.

1) Base your instruction on student readiness, interests, and learning profile

• Use your knowledge of the individual student to determine what methods you can use to interest the student in the topics being discussed.

2) Start differentiating at a pace that is comfortable with you.

• Do not just dive right into differentiation, instead take your time and ease into it and make it effective.

3) Time differentiated activities to support student success.

• Students today have short attention spans.• Have a lot of short assignments. • Give the students action.

4) Use an anchor activity to free up yourself up to focus your attention on your students.

• Students will finish assignments at different paces. Make sure you have something for them to be doing after they complete an assignment so they will not disrupt others.

• Make it fun so they will want to get to the anchor activity.

5) Create and deliver instructions carefully.

• Make sure you use different avenues for conveying instructions so that everyone understands.

6) Assign students into groups smoothly.

• When you put students into groups, make the transitions quick and painless.

7) Have a “home base” for students.

• Always present the lesson and end the lesson in the same place everyday. This avoids confusion.

8) Be sure students have a plan for getting help when you are busy with another student.

• Make sure students do not have to wait on you for help.

9) Minimize noise

• Make sure noise is not distracting.

10) Make a plan for students to turn in work.

• Let students know the proper protocol for turning in work to avoid confusion.

11) Teach the students how to arrange the furniture.

• When students get into groups, make sure they know how and where to place the furniture in an organized manner.

12) Minimize stray movement

• Make sure you do not have a lot of unnecessary movement that could lead to distraction.

13) Promote on task behavior

• When students are doing what they are assigned, you should praise them to promote on task behavior.

14) Have a plan for quick finishers.

• Make sure students have something to do when they are done with an assignment.

Make a plan for calling halt.

• Have some protocol in place for when it is time to finish a project.

16) Give your students responsibility.

• Do not be afraid to give your students responsibility in a group. They need to be pressured to finish their task.

17) Engage your students in talking about classroom procedure.

• Openly talk about class procedure so there is no doubt about what is expected of the students.