Instructional Philosophy:

Differentiation
Details on Experience: I have attended multiple training sessions on differentiation for
students with a wide array of needs and taken a class during which I read the book
Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom by Carol Ann Tomlinson.
Each learner is an individual, and instruction needs to be individualized.
We teach best when we teach responsively, adjusting practice to needs.
The differentiated classroom is a place where students feel safe to make
mistakes as they face challenges.
Teachers convey the value of each individual in the classroom.
Students need for affirmation, contribution, power, purpose and challenge.
Differentiation demands careful reflection from the teacher as they work to
identify needs and meet the needs through well-designed lessons.
The differentiated classroom involves consistent communication patterns,
routines, support systems and methods for sharing responsibility.
Students should set their own individualized goals and keep track of their
progress toward meeting these goals.
The curriculum feels relevant to students and learning targets are clear.
No student in a differentiated classroom is excluded from complex, higher-order
thinking, but this takes on varied forms for students.