Levers of Differentiation
All teachers experience the spectrum of backgrounds, abilities and skills of the students’ sitting in their classroom. Teachers who have the ability to “differentiate” their lesson can be somewhat more successful in making sure all the students are learning. While teachers have to work hard and often be most creative in meeting the challenge of teaching to a wide ability level, there are four “levers” or considerations teachers can manipulate in order to facilitate learning.
1. Cognition Level – Teachers can align targeted questions and classwork to the appropriate cognition level of the student. Some students may be ready to analyze or apply the material while others can only demonstrate understanding.
2. Conditions – Teachers can vary the conditions under which students perform. For example, some can work independently and without cues or aides, while others should work with peer support and for utilizing aides. Some students may work better with a bit of extra time or using manipulatives.
3. Proficiency Level – Not all students learn and master material to the same degree or to the same pace. Determining the appropriate expected “success level” for individual students allow stronger students to perform at higher level of proficiency, while others have a different expectation.
4. Proving Behavior – Teachers can align how a student will demonstrate proficiency of what the intended learning was to be with his/her preferred modality on performance. Providing some choice is how a student can “prove” the learning was done and allows for various learning styles.
Using one or more of these “learning levers” keeps the teacher in the driver seat to apply appropriate differentiation strategies to the classroom.
