What's it all about?

Hallmarks of a Differentiated Classroom 

(Bringing it all together!)

When the teacher is clear about learnign goals, she/he specifies what students should know, understand and do for each unit of study. Essential learning can take place with such teacher focus and allows supported student involvment. When a teacher maps out his/her vision for the cirriculum taught, it enables students to make up for lost learning and offers them links to individual needs! 

Begin with the end in mind!

#2 – Absolute Clarity about what the teacher wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do – about what is truly important to learn in this unit. This clarity allows the teacher to focus on essential learning goals with all students, but at varying degrees of complexity.

1.       This hallmark should affect all good instruction by allowing the teacher to set her overall vision ahead of time and offer her a road map that starts with the end result in mind. By having absolute clarity of what is truly important in the lesson, the students benefit in overall learning experience.

2.       Three key words that are critical in explaining this hallmark of differentiated instruction are: Focus, essential learning, and teaching clarity. They offer a road map of teaching that guides us to the overall destination.

3.       This hallmark is always applicable, for every lesson taught, every day, all the time. It is crucial that teachers follow a play and have an overall desired result with each and every lesson in order to convey productive and engaged learning.

4.       Our visual model will consist of a road map and cars that will depict how having a vision and overall goal when teaching allows you to stay on track and reach your final destination when teaching. It also allows you to look back and see where you have come from and make adjustments to your lessons to fine tune them for future use.

I feel that the hallmarks offer us a bigger picture of what we can do as teachers! I love that they offer us a road map to successful differentiation and align with the common core simultaneously. Works for me!

What's in it for me?

To meet or not to meet....

What's all the buzz about? Morning meeting is not a new concept, yet more and more teachers are realizing its potential in creating a classroom with community and cohesiveness. 

Engaging students in a series of purposeful compents as a way to start the day is a great way of building a strong sense of belonging.

1. Greeting Students and teachers greet one other by name and practice offering hospitality.
2. Sharing Students share information about important events in their lives. Listeners often offer empathetic comments or ask clarifying questions.
3. Group Activity Everyone participates in a brief, lively activity that fosters group cohesion and helps students practice social and academic skills (for example, reciting a poem, dancing, singing, or playing a game that reinforces social or academic skills).
4. Morning Message Students read and interact with a short message written by their teacher. The message is crafted to help students focus on the work they'll do in school that day.

Soooo.... what's in it for me??? 

How about kids learning to care about eachother! The value of creating a classroom filled with safety, sharing, and learning is invaluable to learning social skills that will take them places they've never been and help them be the very best people they can be. Nice! I'll take that!

I appreciate independence and self-esteem and feel that morning meeting is the perfect way to build them both! I love seeing students shine and feel confidence, so bring it on- I'm about that!!!