Fulfilling the Promise, and 3 Hallmarks

Fulfilling the Promise
Chapters 1 & 2

Why the differentiated classroom?

The quote at the beginning of the chapter, really answers this question for me. It helps me remember that each child comes from some place very different and that their destinations are very different as well. It gives me a really good visual for what our classrooms and attitudes need to be like, open to all.

How?

As teachers learn the four learning traits they can be better teachers. Two that I feel are important are:

1. Readiness: The book explains that readiness rather than ability can vary over time, and is not fixed. Readiness has to do with where a child comes from, prior experience, and feelings about school.

2. Learning profile: How students learn best, their learning style, intelligence preference, culture & gender. Obviously a teacher needs to know this in order to teach optimally.

metaphors: The text refers to the story of The Little Prince. “One only understands the things one tames” Taming takes, time, patience and listening. Students come into our classroom asking to be tamed, understood, taught.
Three Cogs: At the center of this idea are the three cogs, the first is that the students seeks, this has to do with each of the students needs. Next, we as teachers respond, how will we do this? Lastly, we use the curriculum and instruction to do this. This attempts to help the learners discover the power of knowledge and to reveal what is best in each of them.

Chapter 2
We say to our students come play with me, come do what I think is important for you to learn. Our students respond, not until you connect with me. As Maslow pointed out, all of our needs need to be met in order to learn and go further. If a child feels that what you are doing fulfills his need to be safe, he’ll be able to go along with it. Emotions trump learning, children must feel safe in order to learn.
The first Gear: The student seeks,
Below are one of the meanings from each cog that stood out to me,
Affirmation: I am safe here as I am
Contribution: I make a difference here.
Power: Wat I learn is useful to me now.
Purpose: The work here absorbs me.
Challenge: I work hard
These stood out to me because they are something I have learned about myself as a learner, and that is important to me.

Lastly, another point that stood out is the snapshot idea. We as teachers take snapshots of our classroom, For example, this lesson went well, or didn’t, the class is restless today or not. It is important to try to meet the needs of all students, by taking individual portraits, find the one, DuShawn who is sad or fearful, and find what his needs are.

Three Favorite Hallmarks of a Differentiated Classroom

1. A strong link between assessment and instruction: Without knowing where our students are, we can’t know where to to take them. In my own teaching assessments are my favorite part. Almost always I’m assessing my own abilities as a teacher. I’m checking myself to make sure that the lessons I’m teaching are coming across clearly.

2. Respectful and engaging work for all. The reason this is important to me is that children are extremely smart. My students are all on different levels, I keep my classes to a maximum of six students to ensure that each child is moving at the pace best for them. Naturally they are doing different work than eachother. The work that they are doing though somewhat matches that of their classmates and friends, although different in complexity and difficulty. In this way no child ever feels less smart or superior to their friends in this respect.

3. Proactive rather than reactive teaching: I’ve learned from experience just how important this is. For example I have been planning preschool this weekend for this whole upcoming week and beyond. I know where each student is, and I can anticipate what their needs will be. If I were to wait, pandemonium would ensue!