Ch. 1 The Differentiated Instruction Mind-Set: Rationale and Definition

Wormeli defined differentiation as doing what is fair for the students. It is whatever works to advance students and seems to be a highly effective way to teach. I want to take some of his advice and use it wisely in my classroom. My mother works in a special education room with a fourteen year old who has a mind-set of a five-year-old, when other students are learning geometry, she is happy enough when he can decipher a square from a circle. She differentiates, but he still learns. It is important that learning is still taking place and that teachers avoid pure “busy work” because it’s easier. We should not rely on what is easy. Through Wormeli, I learned that it is not what we teach our students that matters, instead, it is what they learn. We must offer them the tools to learn efficiently and in a way that is comfortable for them. Teaching in an accommodating atmosphere emphasizes focus. We must use our power in a useful manner, instead of just teaching, differentiate!