Students Have the Same Common Goal Within

¶ … students have the same common goal within a differentiated classroom, the paths they take to that goal may be different. Based upon students' ability levels, they may be given different assignments, materials, or time frames to complete tasks. Teachers use different instruction methods to reach different kinds of learners. Also, students may be 'tracked' within the classroom into groups, or group members may have different roles, based on ability (stronger students may instruct weaker students) and learning styles.

Second principle: Assessment is constant. This is not so much to judge students, but to enable the teacher to tailor his or her lesson plans to student needs. With differentiated instruction, teachers do not cling to a lesson plan. They respond to student needs, and if students don't seem to be 'getting' a concept, they change the approach.

Third principle: When groups are formulated, groups are flexibly arranged. In some situations, teachers may use tracking, in other instances mixed-ability groups. However, there is no unifying organizational principle by which groups are always arranged, to enable students to learn from (and also teach) one another.

Fourth principle: Teachers strive to make students feel challenged. In non-differentiated classrooms, the focus is often bringing the less competent students up to a particular average, while the most gifted students are ignored. Teaching and assessment is based upon the level of the student's abilities.

Fifth principle: Learning is collaborative. Instead of the teacher imparting knowledge to students in a singular, linear way and expecting students to 'meet' the teacher on the learning path, the teacher instead learns from the students.

Of all of the five principles, the first is by far the most difficult to implement. It is extremely difficult to have the time to create a lesson plan that addresses all different learning styles and still covers the necessary content. Also, some form of unity in the class is required for the students to function as a group, which can be difficult if all students are learning on independent paths. Assessing students individually and setting individual goals is not always a feasible proposition, and students can fall behind if they are not held accountable for the expectations they are required to meet.