Friday, December 23, 2011

The Doublespeak Administrators Use When They Tell Teachers To Use "Differentiated Instruction" Methods. In The Classroom.



One of my closest friends was observed the other day by an Administrator and was informally told that while his lesson and presentation in the classroom was satisfactory, he needed to work in "differential instruction" into his classroom lesions. Dumbfounded, my friend spoke to some of the other teachers in his department about how they handled "differential instruction". To his surprise none of the other teachers knew how to work "differential instruction" into their classroom routine.

Some of the teachers think that "differential instruction" was giving easy questions to academically weaker students and more difficult questions to the higher achieving students. Others though that you should have different lessons for each group of learners and a few thought that you put them in groups of four (cooperative learning) with a mixed academic group. Therefore, I looked at some Administrators who have informed teachers on how to use "differentiated instruction" in the classroom. The first example is Here. Another example can be found Here. Finally, I was able to find a good one Here.

What is "differentiated instruction"? Simple, "differentiated instruction" is as described right Here! Furthermore, why should you use "differentiated instruction"? Here is why!

Confusing and the "doublespeak" is quite funny. Unfortunately, the use of "differentiated instruction" is the new slogan for education reformers who believe quality teachers are the only thing that affects student learning. Therefore, if an Administrator asked me to include "differentiated instruction" into my lesson I would ask him to please model an actual lesson in my classroom that includes "differentiated instruction". Of course, I will not hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm a math teacher. This was my reply when I was told this nonsense:

If I ever teach a calculus class, I'll be doing "differentiated instruction" during the lessons on differentiation, but at no other time. I'm a traditional "chalk and talk" teacher!

Anonymous said...

A friend tells me that in the campus school she works in, the same "socioeconomic class" is acting the same way they did 5 years before-causing the existing school to close. Poor attendance, violence, and failing grades are abundant, yet they are taught by newbie teachers now.Wasn't that all supposed to change?

When does Mayor Scumberg and the rest of the ed "reformers" get blasted on their lack of achievement? When will the newbie teachers get blamed AND REPLACED for failing our children? Will they be forced into ATRhood as well? They should, since they are bad teachers.

Anonymous said...

"Differentiated Instruction" is meaningless edu-speak. Offshoot faux criticism is the dreaded "incomplete differentiated instruction' or 'intermittent differentiated instruction' or 'insufficiently differentiated differentiated instruction'. Let's edu-babble together.

Anonymous said...

A prominent AP once told me that the "differentiated instruction" term is used when a supervisor wants to go after a teacher-anotherwords it's differentiated BULLSHIT !

vet teach said...

differentiated teaching or instruction is the modern day buzz bs term like accountable talk or cooperative learning was a few years ago.

where I was working before the break was a new HS of about 40-50 kids, all neophyte 22 yr olds who are anti-seniority, anti-ATR, and who feel the reason they are so good and the reason why the ATRs are so bad is because the ATRs are 'burnouts' had this discussion a week ago.

The funny thing is, and the newbies do not realize this is that you can only be 22 and dynamic for so long. In 5-7 years, they will wake up one day, have master's plus 30, be making some real money, have a family or in process of getting married, not staying until 7 pm each night and not be so dynamic anymore

Chaz said...

vet teach:

These teachers will no longer be in the system by that time as they realize that the demands on them is beyond reason.

vet teach said...

chaz,

odds are that they will also not be granted tenure and will be let go.

it's a shame for the younger teachers in this today who go to college, get the master's degree(which is ridiculous we need a master's in my opinion) just to be let go within 5 years.

does anyone think it will ever get better?