Differentiation is. . . .

"What is differentiation?" one may ask.  While it is a simple term to define, it is also a detail-oriented concept that requires careful, skillful planning in order to obtain desirable results.  Let me give you an example of what differentiation might look like within a classroom.

Two children, both female and 6 years of age, attend the same school, as well as have the same teacher in the same classroom.  One Tuesday morning, Mrs. Simpson assigns the class to write a short descriptive essay about their favorite animal, as they have been learning about living things. Girl A is excited for this writing assignment and immediately begins, while Girl B becomes frustrated, overwhelmed, and sits with her face in her hands for 5-10 minutes before the teacher notices something is wrong and approaches her.

What just happened here?  Why is Girl A's reaction to the assignment so extremely different from Girl B's reaction?  They both have the same teacher, which concludes that they have received the exact same instruction and teaching strategies as one another.  Could it be that Girl A is a better student than Girl B?  Or maybe Girl B is just lazy, or doesn't like to be told what to do?  Possibly. Before jumping to conclusions, though, let's revisit the scenario to find out:

Mrs. Simpson walks over to Girl B and inquires what is bothering her and why she has not started the assignment yet.  After a minute of hesitation, partially from embarrassment, the young girl explains that she struggles in writing, and has a difficult time coming up with ideas, knowing how to spell the words correctly, etc.  Mrs. Simpson thinks for a moment, and then remembers that Girl B is a wonderful little artist.  So, she asks Girl B if she would like to first draw her favorite animal.  Excitedly, Girl B nods her head in agreement, and quickly gets out her crayons to begin.  It isn't long before Girl B is standing at the teacher's desk, proudly displaying her picture of a rabbit for her teacher to admire.

Any guess as to what changed Girl B's motivation towards the assignment?  If your answer is adjusting the assignment to fit her strengths and abilities, you are correct!  The word Different is within the word Differentiation for a very important reason.  In a school classroom, it is so crucial for a teacher to allow students to learn differently; to treat them differently according to their strengths, their cultures, beliefs, abilities, and desires.  While one child may thrive in the learning environment, and do all that is assigned to him/her quickly and correctly, another child may struggle just to grasp the concept, let alone complete the work at hand.  The same goes with a young student who has recently moved to the U.S. from a foreign country, and knows very little English.  It would be extremely illogical and ignorant of the the teacher to expect the child to do the exact same work as the rest of the children in the classroom when the spoken of child is struggling to communicate. Children need differentiation in the classroom, as each one is unique in their own ways. 

In the text, it states that there are 4 traits that "teachers must often address to ensure effective and efficient teaching.  These traits include:  Readiness  (the student's knowledge, understanding and skill related to a particular sequence of learning), Interest (the topics or pursuits that evoke curiosity and passion in a learner), Learning Profile (how students learn best), and Affect (how students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole)." From this list of necessary traits for students, it is important to note that each one is unique and plays an important role by itself.  Therefore, it is the teacher's responsibility to establish ways of incorporating these traits within their classroom at all times. While this may bring about more challenges and extra work for the teacher on his/her end, doesn't it seem worth it to have succeeding, excelling students within the learning environment?!

(Ideas and focus based upon Chapter 1)