Florida Educator Accomplished Practice #6

Bryan Rodin
3/30/2020

Application of Understanding Assignment #6: Based on the above discussions,

write a narrative description of how differentiated instructional practices (how
individual differences such as students with exceptionalities, diversity, various
learning styles, social behavior, etc.) are addressed.

Through the three days I had at Seminole High School I was able to see some of the

diversity in the program and how the students come from a very wide variety of backgrounds. I

didn’t get to meet any students with exceptionalities (that I was aware of) however, so I will

mainly be focusing on the differences between student’s backgrounds affect their classroom

learning.

When I first arrived at Seminole High School I immediately noticed the differences in the

makeup of the student body from that of Jackson Heights Middle School. Seminole High School

appeared to be far more racially and economically diverse. This observation of mine was

confirmed when I was able to sit down with Mr. LaBonte and discuss various aspects of the

school. Seminole High School is one of the largest High Schools in the state, with over 4,100

students. They are anticipating over 4,400 for next year. The reason for this is due to the large

number of specialized programs in place at the school (aeronautics, automotive, robotics,

varied athletics programs). This in turn means that there are several hundred students

attending the school that are not zoned for it. There are some students who must travel from

the far reaches of the county that may have a wildly different background than their peers.
 This results in Mr. Malcolm and Mr. LaBonte needing to accommodate for the mix of

experiences and wide variation in school/home balances that affect their band program. It may

not be reasonable for many students to afford a potential field trip, or to buy their necessary

band uniform pieces. Some students may not have come from a middle school feeder that had

as wonderful resources as their peers. Contrarily, there are also students who come from more

affluent areas and can handle whatever obstacles life may throw at them with ease. This

environment reminds me a lot of my school, Vero Beach High School. A large geographic zone

filled with a varied population makes for interesting compromises that must be made in the

band room.

Unfortunately I did not get a chance to talk to many students individually about this sort

of thing, and I can only hope that everyone is managing well throughout their virtual learning

and still making the most out of the opportunities they have, no matter what their background

and home lives are like.