Differentiated instruction. A buzz phrase in education today. But what does that really mean? At Cooks Corners, our teachers work to differentiate instruction for all of our students on a daily basis.
By definition, differentiated instruction is the way in which a teacher anticipates and responds to a variety of student needs in the classroom. As educators we are committed to the diversity of our students, and recognize that learning differences are natural and positive. Our focus is to capitalize on each students’ interests and strengths. Student diversity is a variable that is ever changing. Our students arrive at school with very different backgrounds and abilities. It is not uncommon for a classroom at Cooks to have a range of students that includes high ability students, student just above, below or on grade level, students who are learning English as a second language and students that have special needs. When we look at the variables that are related to increasing student achievement, the key variables are the background knowledge of each student and professional practice of teaching. Which begs the question: How do teachers do it?
The professional practice of teaching is no longer one teacher making one set of lesson plans over the weekend that will fit the needs of all students. Teachers consider each student, their background knowledge and various learning styles first, then they differentiate curriculum content, processes, and products before delivering instruction. They do this by meeting regularly with other professionals which often include occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, behavior therapist, special education teachers, other general education teachers, and parents. This type of professional collaboration is a key component to students success. Teachers also analyze the core standards to determine the amount of time students need to spend to master the learning objective. Our amazing teachers continue to collaborate and differentiate in order to make learning meaningful for each child.
At Cooks our theme for this year is Dream, Learn, Achieve. Our Dream is that all students are empowered to grow physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially with enthusiasm for lifelong learning, while achieving high academic and performance standards, and function responsibly as productive citizens. It is through the commitment of each student, parent and teacher combined with ongoing professional collaboration that we will Learn and Achieve.
