Ch.10. Education Leaders as Catalysts for DI Classrooms

Differentiating the process of differentiation dictates that we all go from where we are to further down Quality Instructional Avenue. We do that be encouraging each other where we are at. Small stable steps please. Revamping lessons to meet diverse learning styles is a first step that I think must be taken pre-differentiation. Using up to date materials can be a step. Letting go of our "on the stage" role is hard. Granted, this process, like any other will get easier as time goes on. Let's work on application. Our students could and should have a much greater role in their school as a whole. Telling them they will apply the skill in real life is crazy. THIS IS their real life! Why would we teach them something they won't use for 5-10 years?
Making all these good things happen takes TIME. I do know know, nor can I proffer a guess, on where all this time is to come from. Many of us have other jobs and/or families that need attention. How to do it all well?? Life doesn't differentiate much unfortunately.

Chapter 10

Quoting the author, "to start smart, first begin small" makes sense to me! The author also stated "it's vital to avoid a feeling of overload among teachers". Later the author writes, "various teachers have differing readiness levels, interests, and learning profiles. They will need to develop the process of differentiation and different timetables, through different routes, and with differing forms of assistance". This being stated by the author, I think the best way for us to begin this is with each teacher setting his/her own beginning goal and assessing the learning needs of his/her students. Then form small groups (possibly K-3 and 4-6 for elementary and similar subject groups for high school) to meet regularly to discuss the varied learning needs and ways to achieve the goal each teacher has set. This would include areas to differentiate and strategies to try. I know that when I read the two chapters on strategies, I had definite thoughts about which ones I would want to implement and the specific subjects or concepts I would use them with. I'm sure every other teacher had a similar experience. Each teacher can choose a strategy he/she feels comfortable with, implement the strategy, and then come back to the group to discuss it. If the teacher wants to tape the lesson(s), that could be an option. It could be helpful to the discussion process. I think implementing the process of differentiation is like implementing any other initiative. A teacher starts small, gets her feet wet, and begins to feel more comfortable. Gradually the teacher gains more knowledge and, above all, more confidence. She then does more and more to make the implementation complete.

I'm not surprised by the number of times my colleagues have made a comment about the "T" word when answering questions. It is a definite factor for all of us!

Time, time, time..... between a 10 hour day and family and second jobs it is SO hard to find the time. In my library lessons (mini-lesson, actually) I have found a little tweak to bring the lesson from large to small groups is a start. I so empathize with the many many classes so many of you teach...

Don, I couldn't agree with you more on many of the things you wrote. Overload is certainly a factor in all of this, and at times makes things overwhelming. I see the value of differentiation and certainly even more so after reading the book. It all comes down to time, support for the process, and will the school district be a proponent of it all away across the board from elementary through the secondary? It will be interesting where this all takes education in the next 5-10 years.

Chapter 10

The author states that this chapter is directed toward department chairs, principals, superintendents, and others in leadership positions so that is what I will respond to. In detail she outlines the responsibilities of school leaders. Text book wise, she is right about each one. In my opinion this chapter is about our leaders making staff development a success. I believe that it deals with all the things she mentions but especially the following (1) more time (include prep time, staff development time, and time to meet with staff members (2) paying staff an adequate amount of money for work after school hours, and (3) results. I will use an example that could be played out in South Dakota schools. Adequate funding of education in South Dakota has not been a priority for years. Over 80% of the districts have opted out (this means - public vote to increase local taxes) just to operate. The author(as superintendent) makes a presentation before the board explaining the differentiated classroom process. She explains that it's not an instructional strategy, a collection of strategies, or a teaching model. It is a way of thinking that challenges how educators typically envision assessment, teaching, learning, classroom roles, use of time, and curriculum. She also states that test scores should improve in a few years but there is no guarantee. There is no grant money available so she feels that we will need about $80,000 to start the first year. With this money another teacher could be hired. This would reduce current teacher work load allowing each teacher an additional preparation period. The rest of the money would be used to provide adequate stipends for out of classroom time for each instructor. This is a five year project so the same amount will need to budgeted for the next four years. A discussion follows. I know what the results of this discussion would be. She may not sleep to well that night. Welcome to life as an administrator in most South Dakota schools. This same example could be played out with any staff development project, not just the differentiated classroom. The end result is not so text book any more. We will then have to start smart, and begin small. Teachers will have to work any staff development into their normal schedule, no stipends will be paid, and we will only use staff development days as allowed by the state. The biggest challenge for administrators is they need to find a way to create the time for teachers to try new methods and pay them an adequate stipend for extra time involved. Our current system needs to change. I failed as an administrator to find a solution. It bothered me to ask teachers to do these things on their own time and with very little compensation. The answer to the question for Chapter 10 is here. School leaders need to some how change the system and provide staff with the time and compensation necessary to effectively implement any type of staff development.

Chapter 10

I'd say that most of our differentiation discussion concerned the academic side of the equation - how to deliver our material in increasingly chaotic ways, but I'd suggest that differentiation shouldn't only include the academic but also the behavior. Like others, I'd been getting more frustrated each day with a certain grade due to distractions and behavior problems, but because we are so isolated due to lack of proximity or choice (I tend to eat in my classroom while almost catching up with paperwork) I felt I was alone in my frustrations. The meeting this morning about the behavior let me know that one, I wasn't alone, and two, that there could be options. I'll grant that I felt further frustration because there wasn't an immediate solution, but I suspect the meeting itself helped change my own attitude. The strange consequence is that today's class period was the best I'd had in a long time. Just simple communication worked wonders.