Differentiation is a component which is a vital part of
effective teaching. The ethos of the inclusion of every child within the
classroom is something which has been constantly assessed and altered within
the preceding years. However, how a teacher applies this differentiation within
their classroom is personal to them, as they have an outstanding understanding
of their students, so they are sensitive to individual’s needs and
requirements.
Over the past week observations occurred over three sessions
and all presented differentiation within the classroom; however, they all
targeted their students utilising different methods and techniques. Although,
the commonality of the differentiation within every class was the
differentiated outcomes, as all the teachers utilised the ‘SMART’ approach to
achieve this. This differentiation is both a premeditated element as it is
incorporated into the lesson plan, and expectations shared with the students,
so they have a target to work towards.
The first observation differentiated through the use of
numbers, as the teacher expressed with the students how many new persuasive
techniques they should know by the end of the lesson. By utilising numbers it
made it specific and measureable. This was achieved through the aid of check
lists, as the students started by ticking off what they already knew, so this
gave the teacher an indication of the pupil’s prior knowledge, thus so they can
build upon it. Following this, the students would tick off at the end of the
lesson what new persuasive techniques they had understood and utilised. This
was based on evidence from their own work, so the assessment for learning was
successful as all students exited the classroom having acquired new knowledge.
Although, the differentiation was evident through the number of new persuasive
techniques they had acquired and employed throughout the course of the lesson.
The second observation employed differentiation differently,
as rather than a specific number being utilised, the students were grouped on
tables. The tables were differentiated upon the student’s weak points; for
example, a table may have punctuation as an area they needed to focus on, so a
prompt sheet was provided and the students would utilise it to aid them
throughout the lesson. This technique is particularly effective, as students do
not respond well to a physical differentiation, such as a different work sheet.
Consequently, the student is not revealing their target grade to the rest of
the class and all students feel they are all working at the same level.
To conclude, differentiation is an element that is vital to
the lesson and is a component which ensures all students are included in the
learning process and ensure they leave the classroom with new knowledge. However,
differentiation must be careful considered when planning and delivering the
lesson, so that it does not make students feel excluded, as this is the
opposite of the desired effect.
