TOPIC 3:

THE ROLE, RESPONSIBILITY AND TASKS OF

THE TEACHER IN MANAGING
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

1
MINDSET FOR LEADING A DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM

• How teachers view the learners in their classroom is organized an

ultimately how students think and feel about school.
• Learners can have either a positive or negative outlook, depending on
how the teacher interacts with them and how he or she invites all
learners in the classroom to trust that the journey they are embarking on
will be met with success.
• This requires leadership on the part of the teacher to partner with
students in structuring the learning environment that supports each
learner to reach his or her potential.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 2

MINDSET FOR LEADING A DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM
• Good learners are ones who have a clear vision about the goals they
are trying to achieve and who develop a plan to help their students
reach these goals.
• After all, the diverse learners who ultimately show up in our classrooms
require varied learning experiences so that each student can grow and
meet with success in learning.
• In differentiated classroom, the role of the teacher is especially
important.

“The teacher is an irreplaceable leader in moving

differentiation from an idea on paper or in a
professional development session to a way of life in
the classroom”.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 3

MINDSET FOR LEADING A DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM

Characteristics that good leaders in classrooms possess. They,

• Hold a vision for something good.
• Have the capacity to share the vision and enlist others in it.
• Build a team for achieving the vision.
• Renew commitment to the vision.
• Celebrate successes.
• Are about people.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 4

 FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSETS

• The way teacher leads a classroom is shaped by the teacher’s

mindset, which is a set of beliefs about the human ability to learn
and to succeed.
• Likewise, students’ attitudes toward learning are shaped by their
beliefs about learning and success.
• To describe these beliefs, Carol Dweck (Thomlinson & Imbeau,
2010) uses two terms: fixed mindset and growth mindset.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 5

 FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSETS

• In practice, teachers with the fixed mindset may underestimate

student capacity and motivation to work hard and may “teach
down” based on student’s language, culture, socioeconomic
status, race and other characteristics.
• Even when teaching students with high ability, they may accept
their high grades or grade-level work as adequate.
• On the other hand, teachers with a growth mindset encourage
and insist on student effort and hard work.
• They are to change the mindset of students by creating the
conditions in which students can experience success through
hard work. (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010).

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 6

 FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSETS
FIXED MINDSET
Success comes from being smart.
Genetics, environment determine
what we learn.
Some kids are smart and some
aren’t.
Teachers can’t override students’
profiles.
GROWTH MINDSET
Success comes from effort.
With hard work, most students can
do most things.
Teachers can override students’
profiles.
A key role of the teacher is to set
high goals, provide high support,
ensure student focus- to find the
thing that makes school work for a
student.
Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 7
 FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSETS

TEACHER MINDSET IN FIXED GROWTH

THE CLASSROOM MINDSET MINDSET
Crafting a classroom • Order and rules are prioritized over relationship- • Teachers partner with students to
building. determine how the classroom can be
environment organized so that it will work for
• Students believe the classroom belongs to the everyone.
teacher. • Students view the classroom as “our”
classroom – one that they have helped
develop.

Designing student tasks • Learning experiences follow a script or pacing guide • Learning experiences are developed
to ensure that all learners are treated the same way based on the needs of individual
and that key goals are met. students.

When a student is stuck • Students who do not understand curricular material
are seen as having reached the natural limits of their
with a task capacity.
• Assistance may be provided to help get a student
“unstuck” but there is no assumption that all students
can perform to equally high levels.
• Students who do not understand
curricular material are seen as facing
challenges that can be overcome
through effort.
• Students are taught what to do when
they encounter difficulty.
• Teachers provide various support systems
with the assumption that high effort can
lead to high achievement for all
students.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 8

 FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSETS

TEACHER MINDSET IN FIXED GROWTH

THE CLASSROOM MINDSET MINDSET
When homework isn’t • The assumption is that the student is irresponsible or • Teachers partner with students to
unmotivated. determine how the classroom can be
done organized so that it will work for
everyone.
• Students view the classroom as “our”
classroom – one that they have helped
develop.

When giving feedback • Feedback is summative and evaluative – work is • Feedback is formative, with an emphasis
graded and rated. on student growth and next steps in the
on student work • Little attention is paid to improvement or revision. learning process.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 9

 THE TEACHER’S ROLE

• When teachers differentiate instruction, they move away from seeing

themselves
as keepers and dispensers of knowledge.
• They move toward seeing themselves as organizers of learning
opportunities.
• Focus less on knowing all the answers, and focus more on reading their
students.
• Teachers who differentiate instruction focus on their role as coach or
mentor.
• They give students as much responsibility for learning as they can handle,
and teach them to handle a little bit more.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 10

 THE TEACHER’S ROLE

• The role of a teacher in a differentiated instruction class is to make sure

each child is mastering the goals.
• The teacher's have a plan for each child to follow.
• The teacher's job is to make sure they are assisting the children with
different options to try different ways of learning.
• A differentiated instruction teacher provides strategies for children that
are already goal oriented.
• Differentiated teachers usually allow their students multiple times of
trying, before they will join in and offer solutions to a problem.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 11

 THE TEACHER’S ROLE
• Teachers grow in their ability to:

“read” and interpret

Assess student readiness student clues about Create a variety of ways
through a variety of interests and learning student can gather
means preference information and ideas

Present varied channels

Develop varied ways
through which students
students can explore
can express and
and “own” ideas
expand understanding

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 12

 THREE METAPHORS
• There are three metaphors of the role of a teacher in a
differentiated classroom.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE THE JAZZ

AN ORCHESTRA COACH MUSICIAN

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 13

 THREE METAPHORS
• The metaphor generates the image of a leader
who know the music intimately, can interpret it
THE DIRECTOR OF AN elegantly, can pull together a group of people
ORCHESTRA who may not know each other well to achieve a
common end, even though they all play
different instruments.

• There’s a time in rehearsals for individual

practice, a time for sectional practice, and a
time for the whole group to work together.

• In the end, the director of the orchestra helps

musicians make music, but does not make the
music themselves.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 14

 THREE METAPHORS

• A good coach has goals for the team, but also every
THE individual on the team.
COACH • Practice will likely involve common activities, but will
also likely call on each player to improve areas of
weakness and polish areas of strength.
• The coach is generally part psychologist, having to
understand what motivates each player and use the
understanding to get the player to sweat and even
risk pain in order to develop their skill.
• Also, however, the coach must build a team spirit
that transcends individual concerns.
• The coach is active during both practice and the
game-but, however the coach does not play the
game.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 15

 THREE METAPHORS

• Improvisation combines with a high level of musical

THE competence to enable a jazz musician to think both
JAZZ MUSICIAN inside and outside the box.

• The jazz musician has the whole picture, but can add
new notes, change tempo, step back for a soloist to
assume the spotlight, or become the soloist in the
spotlight.

• A piece becomes longer or shorter, more plaintive, or

more playful as the mood of the group dicates.

• A good differentiated classroom is jazz!

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 16

RULES OF THUMB FOR DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION

1. Be clear on the key concepts and generalizations

or principles that give meaning and structure to the
topic, chapter, unit, or less you are planning.

2. Think of assessment as a road map for you thinking

and planning

3. Lessons for all students should emphasize critical

and creative thinking

4. Lessons for all students should be engaging(even

though you may not always achieve this goal, but
something you strive for)

5. In a differentiated classroom, there should be a

balance between student-selected and teacher-
assigned tasks and working arrangements.

Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani 17

 Thank You
Xie Xie
Nandri
Kotoluadan /Pounsikou
u n i t a r. m y
Prepared by Sharliana Che Ani