Planning for learning

Megan Anderson

Inquiry Question: In what ways does differentiation in learning strategies based on the diverse
needs of my students affect my ability to manage the behaviour and progression of the
students in my classroom? Furthermore, how can I adjust my lessons to better serve the diverse
educational needs of my classroom to avoid behavioural issues?

Goal: By the end of PS1, I will be able to effectively manage student behaviour by incorporating
effective differentiation to help struggling students, while still engaging fast learners in the
learning process.

Strategies Related Resources/Support Evidence of Success Timeline

TQS
Research various classroom
management strategies
and activities for
differentiation and employ
3 strategies on a regular
basis.
Implement a sponge
activity to be available for
“fast finishers” to complete
after regular classwork is
done. Sponge activity must
be cohesive with the lesson
plan learning objectives.
Implement 3 formative
assessment techniques on
a regular basis to gauge
student understanding and
intercept behaviour issues
before they develop.
required
-My TA’s
2 recommendations
-Previous PS1
coursework.
Online resources.
-Use the previously
3 collected list of
differentiation activities.
-Observation of strategies
my TA implements in her
lessons.
- My TA’s
recommendations.
4 -Previous PS1
coursework.
-Online resources.
A list of usable strategies to Week 1
implement in my classroom.
I will record the sponge Week 2
activity successes or failures
in my reflective journals and
rely on feedback from my
TA to assess if the activities
are improving engagement
and behaviour.
I will record the success or Week 3
failure of the formative
assessment techniques
following implementation in
my reflective journals and
discuss with my TA how to
improve.

Reflection at midway point:

Achievements:
Students are responding well to the formative assessments I am employed. I often use the
“thumbs-up for understanding” and sometimes will ask students to put their heads down
prior to putting their thumbs up. This helps them avoid any embarrassment from other
students knowing that they lack understanding. Additionally, I often use observation of
participation efforts to help me know who to spend time with during the lessons to assist
when needed. The most effective assessment I have used has been personal whiteboards for
review. I can see which students are struggling with concepts while also keeping easily
distracted students engaged with the learning process, rather than relying on observation
and questioning alone.
 In Progress:
I am continually honing my classroom management skills. I find that when I watch for
students struggling or finishing early and further engage them before they have a chance to
lose motivation and concentration, behavioural issues become less prevalent. I believe that
this would further improve as I get to know the students and understand their motivations.
Additionally, I am working on intercepting behaviours when they first develop rather than
allowing leeway which results in behaviour issues becoming disruptions. I am working on
recognizing the signals we see prior to these disruptions happening.

Future Considerations:
As I become more confident in my teaching abilities, I believe I can focus more of my efforts
on controlling behaviour through differentiation. I will be able to successfully intercept
moments of boredom or disconnection and pivot to an engaging activity once my focus is not
on the content and my lesson plans. This is when I will most likely be able to concentrate on
reading the acceleration cues from my students.
Now that I am beginning to get a good idea of how to de-escalate situations in a relatively
well-behaved first grade classroom, I would be interested in observing an older class to see
which strategies would be better served.

Reflection at the end of the term:

Towards the end of the term, I began being able to focus more readily on the behaviour
rather than my teaching abilities. As my confidence grew, I began recognizing when the silly
behaviour was short lived, and when it was leading to a more chaotic situation. My ability to
give warnings and follow through with discipline increased, although I still have work to do on
controlling my classroom behaviour.
I learned the pace of each student and their ability to process information. By the end of
my time in PS1, I began to understand each students’ motivations and anticipate their reactions
to time restraints and content difficulty. Often, I would be able to see a look on a student’s face
and know that they were completely lost. I could tell when a student was feeling uncomfortable
and unsure of themselves, and alternately I recognized the look of triumph when it clicked in
their brain.
I know I still have so much to learn, but by the end of PS1 I feel more confident in my
abilities to be flexible and fill the needs of my students—Even when they lead me away from
my lesson plan. I feel as though I am on track to becoming the teacher I want to someday be.