Summer for teachers has arrived! While you may be imagining my days are spent lounging by the pool sipping cocktails (don’t get me wrong, I will make that happen eventually), the implication of summer break for me at this point means professional development. Summer professional development takes a variety of forms, from workshops to podcasts […]
motivation
The Student Who Can, but Won’t
Every teacher is told that they must teach to all learning styles, that they must follow 504 plans and Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and that they are responsible for differentiating assignments so that all students can learn equally. What if a teacher does all of these things, but a student simply won’t learn? Believe it […]
Making it Interesting: 5 Easy Ways to Differentiate Processes
All students have different interests, and the fact remains that most students are not interested in worksheets about math, language arts, science, and social studies. Think back to when you were in school and the best lesson you’ve ever been taught by a teacher. What made that lesson stand out to you? Was it the […]
Differentiated Motivation
I began my teaching career about twenty years ago, and in that time I have seen a great deal of change around the concept of differentiation. It began, for me, as simply modifying assessments for students in special education . . . lowering the bar so that they may experience a taste of success. It […]