ShayAne Hakala

EDUC 5180
10/27/14
Classroom Observations Essay 2
Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning
The quote, Fair isnt everyone getting the same thing, fair is
everyone getting what they need in order to be successful, articulates
an essential lesson. Especially in education, it isnt enough that every
student get the same materials, the same lesson delivery, and the same
requirements asked of them. In order to engage and support each
student a teacher must live and breathe differentiation. With that in mind, a teacher can and will
gain higher rates of student involvement and deepen the learning that takes place. Differentiation
opportunities should include area of content, the education process, the expected product, and the
environment. At Penngrove Elementary School I have mostly seen differentiation in content and
a few examples of process, product, and environment.
One content adaption I see often is the incorporation of student interest into a lesson. The second
grade teacher does this by designing lessons to be very independent and very active. This class
particularly likes Ninja Maki and Hello Kitty. The teacher uses these characters as prizes, embeds them
into lesson plans, and uses them as incentives for participation. The 2nd graders also enjoy games, and
they are both competitive with each other and with themselves. Although the Ninja Maki and Hello Kitty
arent needed in order to deliver a lesson, the teacher does so in order to encourage student participation
and decrease their distractibility. The games help by focusing the energy the students have into something
productive. Likewise, in a 4th grade class the teacher understands that the class is boy dominant and that
they are also very active. In order to retain his students attention he uses a points system for those who

are very competitive, and he also includes a lot of outdoor activities based on what sports the class is
interested in. In doing so, the class gets a chance to release energy that would otherwise detract from
learning, and he uses an extrinsic points system to keep participation in other content areas high.
Another example of differentiated content can be found in the reading program, Walk-to-Read.
The groups are homogeneous, although flexible, in order to target a particular reading strategy that the
students need. This practice helps both struggling students and advanced students because it supports their
level of learning without moving too fast or too slow for their learning needs. Other content areas are
heterogeneous groups, such as that found in Math, because it gives struggling students the added support
they get from working with their peers. The sixth grade teacher I observed used this strategy by asking a
difficult question, allowing some time to pass, calling on an advanced student to provide the answer, and
then checking with struggling students to reiterate the answer. The struggling student felt better about the
problem because they got an example from both the teacher and the other student before having to
comment on the subject in front of the whole class.
The strongest of the schools differentiation of content can be found in
classrooms where teachers have several, up to 13, students with IEPs. I have seen
several teachers adapt the curriculum in order to best suit their students needs
and abilities. For example, one student with ADHD has a difficult time keeping
up during note taking activities. Typically the notes are compiled into a notebook that is later graded for
participation; however, for this student he only needs to write the examples provided. The teacher has
adapted the curriculum in this way so that he can be graded on participation but at a more manageable
level for him at this point in the year. He is then given a copy of the notes taken during class for review
during homework. He is both supported academically and in his needs by this content adaptation.
One product differentiation example that I have observed was in the 5th grade classroom. Students
were asked to read a book of their choosing, deliver a synopsis of the book in order to peak interest in

others, and share a favorite moment in the book. The assignment was called a book advertisement.
Although all of the students had to complete the same project, they were allowed to create their project in
a variety of forms. Some students chose to do an art project where they crafted their favorite scene from
the book. Another made a mobile of sequenced events depicting the plot to the story. A more
technological approach was the student who made a presentation using Prezi. By allowing the students to
choose their presentation method, the teacher differentiated the product outcome and allowed students to
learn based on their favored method and ability.
Some examples were obvious to me as they happened; however, others were more subtle and
creative. I enjoyed seeing both varieties as it broadened my understanding and perspective on
differentiation. I personally experienced a differentiation strategy that worked well with the 2nd graders. I
turned an ELA worksheet into a sorting game that allowed advanced students to sort additional cards for
more practice. It also allowed struggling students to talk to their peers about their word sort in order to
promote their learning. Eventually all the students had multiple opportunities to sort the game. What I
liked most about it was that students were focused on their own words , and that they didnt notice those
who struggled or those who excelled. It allowed the game to be reflective of their strengths and growing
points to help guide instruction.
So far I think this school tries very hard to differentiate and engage
student learning. My recommendation, and something I would like to
implement into my own teaching, is more process differentiation. This school
seems very fast paced and that means that sometimes students are left feeling
confused about a crucial topic. Other times this fast paced mentality means that
students do not get to invest in what they are learning. I feel that in order to be incorporate this type of
differentiation I would focus on allowing more student work time, use of manipulatives, multiple
examples of modeling, planning lesson extensions, and using a spiraled curriculum guide. I would use
these knowing that it gives me more flexibility in my curriculum and it engages students more deeply.