Cynthia Shaw

Dr. Isbell
ELED 300
6 November 2014
Module 4: Differentiation in the Classroom
Introduction
In this module reflection, I will discuss the principles of differentiation. According to
Kauchak and Eggens (2012) textbook, the idea of differentiating instruction is grounded in the
assumption that not all students learn the same way, and effective teachers adapt their instruction
to meet the learning needs of all their students. With this idea, an effective teacher adheres to
four principles to reflect a differentiated classroom: proactive, student centered, assessment
based, and a blend.
Principles of Differentiation
In order to apply the principle of being proactive, a teacher must incorporate
differentiation into the initial planning phase. This effective way to do this is for the teacher to
understand the diversity inside his/her classroom and incorporate a variety of strategies and
problem-solving techniques before a problem arises. An effective teacher will be able to direct
the preferred outcome by using small group activities as opposed to trying to correct a difficult
situation after it has occurred.
An effective teacher will also recognize the fact that differentiation is based upon student
interests and needs, known as student centered. An effective teacher will not set the classroom
instruction based on what he/she wants to teach. The lessons are instead planned after making an

extra effort to learn about the students interests and needs. The lesson is then constructed based
upon those interests.
The third component of differentiating instruction is assessment based. In assessment
based, differentiation is based upon information about the students and their needs. This
principle is a crucial one, as it provides information about what a student already knows, what
the student is capable of doing, and what action is needed to help the student make it to the next
level of the learning process. The assessment is completed in three phases - initial, continual and
ongoing, and post. In the initial assessment, the teacher is able to acquire the necessary
information needed to help the student before instruction is given. Ongoing and continual
assessment allows the teacher to monitor the students growth, which also will help him/her
recognize the effectiveness of their teaching strategy. During post assessment, the teacher is able
to identify whether the student requires more help with the concept being taught.
How My Mentor Teacher Uses Differentiation in Her Classroom
My mentor teacher is Holly Bodmer, a 5th grade math and science teacher in McKinney
ISD. I have talked to her before this reflection about how she uses differentiation in her
classroom because I have watched her use it during observation. I have asked her what she was
doing and why, and she has stopped to explain the concept to me. She has told me that when she
is working with students who are having trouble with the same problem, she groups them
according to the problem/goal. Everything else is heterogeneously grouped and the table clusters
they sit with should be a mix of all levels. She spoke in terms of high, medium high, low,
medium low, etc. I had never heard that terminology before I started observing, but have noticed
all the teachers I have observed use those terms. She said ideally you want the students to be able
to be autonomous so that it frees you up to pull small groups.

One thing I found very interesting is her concept that is super important to lay the
foundation of we are all learners-sometimes you will be right and sometimes you will need to
try again or ask a friendand that it is ok to not know. She tells them to rememberif they
already knew ALL the answers they wouldnt be sitting in front of you. Otherwise, you will end
up with hes wrong, and Im right kind of thing. She starts building on that from day 1, when
they dont know an answer. She tells them they cant use the words I dont know. What they
can do is: ask a friend for help (their favorite), ask to have the question repeated or ask for more
information. She also thinks the more talking you can get them to do, about whatever it is they
are learning, the more they will learn from each other. So you, as the teacher, dont focus on
whos got the right answer, but more about the different ways students arrive at their answers,
and celebrate that. She told me this is easier to do with math and a good phrase to use is Did
anybody see it differently? Then they have hand signals they use with each other if they saw it
the same way, or are still needing some extra help.
Mrs. Bodmer said that often times, grouping has to be done according to their special
needs (i.e.- accommodations or modifications) She said you always know you are going to have
students who need to be closest to instruction, away from distractions, away from certain kiddos
they cant get along with etc. My favorite quote from her is Pretty much, grouping and
differentiation is what you do every day. It is also one of the most challenging parts of the job,
especially the management piece. Then it changes every year when you get new kiddos, and you
feel like you start over a bitwhich is why some teachers go home and drink red wine.
How I Plan to Use Differentiation in My Classroom
I plan to implement differentiation instruction similarly to the way my mentor teacher
does. I find her way very effective and the students respond very well to it. I think it is important

that I follow each of the four differentiation principles, as it will be instrumental in helping my
students reach each level of learning in the concepts being taught. I will make an extra effort to
really know my students. By having background knowledge on them, it will guide how I deliver
my instruction. I will also make sure that my lessons are student centered as opposed to teacher
centered. By using this approach, it will allow me to be more flexible and engage my students
with instruction based on their own interests and needs, as opposed to mine. This is going to be a
difficult thing for me to learn how to do because, as we have learned, we learn best through the
modeling processand my whole school career I have been taught by the old school, teacher
centered method. I have seen how effective student centered learning is, though, so it is worth
the effort. I have not only seen it with the class I am observing, and with my own second grade
child, but from how much easier I have learned being taught that way in each of my TAMUC
classes this semester. So, actually, I CAN model my teaching to how I have been taughtjust
only the last part of school career!

References
Kauchak, D. & Eggen, P. (2012). Learning and Teaching: Research-Based Methods (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson.