Differentiation Reading Response

Dear Jaremy,
When I read about your experiences as a Teach for America teacher on Jamie's blog (http://futuresuperteacher.blogspot.com/) it seemd your situation was pretty dismal. In class our instructor asked Jamie to read her blog post and told us our next blog assignment would be to write to you, hopefully offering advise about differentiation and definitely referring to our next assigned chapters. As I read the chapters I composed in my mind the things I might tell you about them. A lot of the time I thought how trite my advise might sound. After I read our assigned chapters I looked up your blog (http://jaremysjourney.blogspot.com/) and read many of your posts. And guess what I discovered! You are already doing many of the things we are learning to do and thinking about many of the things we are hoping to think about as teachers. So as you read my advise (based mostly on ch 3-4 of Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, by Carol Ann Tomlinson) I hope you will see many things you've already thought of, or are attempting to accomplish and maybe there will be something new that will help you a little farther down the path of making a difference in your students lives.

At the core of differentiated teaching is making meaningful connections with your students and meeting their needs. This you have begun to do; you are seeking ways to connect with them and ways for them to connect with their own education.

A first way to meet student needs is to affirm their worth and belonging in the classroom, providing way for them to contribute and feel essential to the class community. An element of this is sharing ownership of the classroom. You are showing them that you value their contribution and that you are willing to learn from them when you listen to their suggestions about your teaching.

Another way to meet student needs is by giving them challenging, important, and worthy things to do that can help them to be all they can be. "Simply put, opportunity is more closely related to exhilaration than drudgery" (p.30). It seems to me that this is something you are thinking about--you are worried about how much copying they have to do. I also see two things you have done to begin to address this: the marshmallow models and having them act out concepts.

Two more important things are being invested and persistent as a teacher. I can see your investment in your willingness to take on dance club, give students rides and expend all your energy on trying to reach them. Your students will begin to see it too. You will show your persistence as you continue to search for new ways to make connections and meet needs; as you try something new when your first idea fizzles.

The last thing the text talks about in this chapter is being reflective. Your blog shows that you are reflecting and adjusting. Think of these ideas as you continue to be a reflective teacher:

" --I watch you and listen to you carefully and systematically.

--I make sure to use what I learn to help you learn better.

--I try to see things through your eyes.

--I continually ask, 'How is this partnership working?'

--I continually ask, 'How can I make this better?' "(p. 34).

The next chapter touches on these topics: the classroom environment, communication in the classroom, classroom operation, routines, supporting student success, and shared responsibility. I believe that the most important of these is classroom environment. The text points out the importance of studying student culture which you have begun to do. Also pointing out students' contributions to the class, helping the students know each other, and celebrating success.

We have been learning a way to facilitate these outcomes and more. In elementary classrooms it's called morning meetings. As i was reading this chapter i thought over and over again, "Morning meeting addresses this.v If you choose to implement something like this in your classes you will undoubtedly have to modify some things to fit into a secondary environment. Morning meetings usually last 15-30 min and contain these components:

Greeting: Greeting activities can be simple or complex but the important thing is that each student hears his name and is greeted in a respectful way by one or more of his classmates.

Activity: Can be game, song, chant, cheer, or academic activity--helps to build common ground and community.

Sharing: Students share based on teacher guidelines, then they ask their peers for comments or questions. Comments show interest in the sharer's news, not become a second share. Sometimes a quick share is used where every one answers the same inquiry quickly, moving around the circle, with no questions or comments. Sometimes only a few students share each day.

News and announcements or message: Teacher message is read, contains things like what we're going to do today and transitions into the academic part of the day.

I'm really excited for the sense of community and belonging that morning meeting can build. This is especially important because students can't learn until their basic needs, such as belonging and power, are met. Oh I forgot, after you introduce your class to meetings and establish a routine and expectations you can have the students take turns running the meeting.

I hope you will find something in this note that will help you along your way in this awesome, challenging path you've chosen.

Rebecka