Using a semester-long project for the students helps weave together elements and materials to support the instructional content. Looking at a long-term project that allows students to pull together skills from different areas would allow this type of differentiation. This project would depend upon the content of the curriculum, so it is going to vary by school group.
Student interest- Middle of second semester
One of the tricky things about working with children is that they are very changeable. Something that a student found interesting at the beginning of the year may be boring or "babyish" by the end of the year. Therefore, sometime before the traditional "spring break" it is important for a teacher to reassess student interests, because the end of the school year can prove distracting to students, and it important to make sure that the students are interested in what they are learning.
Managing a differentiated classroom
One of the tricks to managing a differentiated classroom is that they are often less structured than traditional classrooms. This can prove difficult for students with behavior management issues. Understanding learning preferences and student interests can help minimize classroom disruptions (Teachnology, 2011). It is also important to keep some real structure in the classroom. A differentiated classroom may have more freedom and flexibility than a traditional classroom, but it is still structured. "Differentiation is one piece of the mosaic of professional expertise. It is not a strategy to be plugged in occasionally or often, but is a way of thinking about the classroom" (Tomlinson, 1999).
Possible Obstacles
Teachers, students, and administrators all provide for possible obstacles in the classroom. It is important for a teacher to understand that conflict is inevitable. That does not mean that conflict is insurmountable....
A teacher should strive to establish working relationships with parents, so that the parents support the teacher from the beginning of the school year. However, the biggest obstacle is the difficult child. While all students are capable of learning, some students are difficult to motivate to learn. Some students engage in disruptive behavior that not only hampers their own learning ability, but also negatively impacts their peers' ability to learn. Working with the unruly student to keep them from ever becoming the troublemaker can help prevent this obstacle. One way to do this is to discuss, with that student, what the teacher can do to help the child manage behavior. Then it is important for the teacher to do so.
References
Hall, T. (2002). Differentiated instruction: Effective classroom practices report. Washington,
D.C.: National Center on Assessing the General Curriculum.
Shalaway, L. (2011). Our easy guide to setting up your grade K5 classroom. Retrieved January
10, 2012 from Scholastic website: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/our-easy-guide-setting-your-grade-kx965-classroom
Sousa, D. & Tomlinson, C. (2011). Differentiation and the brain. Bloomington, IN: Solution
Tree Press.
Teachnology. (2011). How to differentiate instruction. Retrieved from:
nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/" http://www.teach-
nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/
Tomlinson, C. (1999). Mapping a route toward differentiated instruction. Personalized Learning, 57(1), 12-16.
Willoughby, J. (2005). Differentiating instruction: Meeting students where they are. Retrieved January 10, 2012 from Teaching Today website: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/di_meeting.phtml
