Jul

28

Maintaining a safe, positive classroom climate through differentiated instruction

Filed Under Behaviour Management, Computers In The Classroom, Graphic Organizers, Uncategorized, maintaining a safe, positive climate 

 
icon for podpress  Maintaining a safe, positive classroom climate through differentiated instruction [2:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (210)

Teachers can help maintain a positive classroom climate through differentiated instruction. When I asked little Lauryn who is starting grade four in September, what is the most important thing a good teacher can do, her answer was : “Don’t have all the students do the same thing. It’s too boring.” Gee, I guess we all know what happens in the classroom when students get bored.

That  old adage “Different strokes for different folks”  comes to mind.   There’s no doubt that that applies in the classroom too.  Except we don’t call it different stokes, we call it differentiated instruction.

When teachers differentiate instruction  for their students, they’re actually helping to maintain a positive learning environment, and that’s definitely a good thing. We want kids who are engaged in learning, not in creating mischief.

It’s easy to determine what an individual students strengths are. Think here in terms of multiple intelligences and learning styles. There are all kinds of quick multiple intelligence and learning style inventories on line that you can have your students do to determine their strengths. Some students may even know them from having done the inventories in other classes.

Once a teacher knows what her  students strengths and needs are, she can tailor the instructional strategies to suit  them.   When she  presents the differentiated  strategies to her students, she  can negotiate the finer details to achieve mutual satisfaction.

The following video very nicely illustrates how a teacher  differentiates instructional strategies for her students depending on the students’ strengths and needs

1. Peer Teaching
2. Independent Study
3. Anchor activity
4. Interest survey

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