A Guide to Differentiating Instruction for Newer Teachers
by Amanda Melsby – April 10, 2024
Differentiating instruction is the answer — or possible answer — to some of education’s most challenging questions.
- How do you meet the needs of all students in your classroom?
- How do you motivate students?
- How do you reach students with diverse skills and interest levels in the subject area?
We do it by differentiating instruction.
Differentiating instruction enables teachers to adapt their teaching to meet the diverse needs of their students.
What is differentiating instruction?
Differentiation is the process of adjusting your teaching in response to student readiness or performance to meet the needs of all learners.
A common misconception is that differentiating instruction is simply about making sure that all students master a specific skill or concept. For example, all students will be able to effectively write a persuasive essay. Or all students will be able to explain the process of mitosis.
Yes, mastery is certainly one goal of differentiation. However, only viewing differentiation through this lens focuses too much on the standard, skill, or concept and not enough on the student.
How so?
Focusing differentiation on the standard or concept narrows the idea of differentiation to a place of only remediation. If this were true, teachers would only differentiate for the struggling students. However, we know that all students benefit from differentiated instruction.
Three main ways to differentiate instruction.
- Differentiate your instructional strategies or techniques (how and what you teach)
- Differentiate the learning activities (what students do to practice)
- Differentiate the learning product or assessment (how students demonstrate mastery)
Let’s use a basketball analogy. Your learning outcome is “All students will be able to make one free throw given four attempts.”
How could you differentiate this task for novice players?
Instruction: You teach the basics of correct shooting form. Reading material you assign will provide an introduction to basketball shooting. Perhaps you find a video tutorial specifically for new players.
Learning activities: You increase the amount of practice time.
Learning product/assessment: You allow students to film themselves shooting at home or maybe provide a lower-stress, after-school option.
How could you differentiate the task for experienced players?
Instruction: You offer more advanced tips to improve their technique. Any reading material you assign uses terminology that assumes the reader knows how to play basketball. You might find a video tutorial designed for improvement as opposed to an introduction.
Learning activities: You introduce competitive shooting drills or games that advanced students can play.
Learning product/assessment: You ask those who test early to become a “shooting tutor” for other students. Perhaps you offer a special incentive or reward for shooters who can make 5 or 10 shots in a row. Let advanced students opt to shoot from farther away.
You hope to support each student as they go just beyond their academic comfort zone. Every student in class, from top to bottom, should be challenged in a way that is appropriate for them. This is done through a variety of strategies and techniques that target how instruction is given, the types of activities students engage in, and the products they create to demonstrate their understanding.
New teachers: Go easy on yourself when it comes to differentiation.
Let’s be honest–differentiating instruction is a daunting task. It’s time-consuming and can place a high degree of pressure on the teacher.
We often refer to teaching as a practice, using phrases like “improving your teaching practice” or “elevating your teaching practice.” By using the term practice, we are implicitly saying that teaching is something that is always being developed, that is always improving. As teachers, we continue to learn and develop.
Do not think of differentiation as something that you have to master in your first few years. You should, however, begin experimenting with it.
Think of differentiation (like all of your teaching) as a practice. You learn new techniques, implement and practice them, and continue to develop and refine them over the years.
As you get deeper into differentiation, we highly recommend the work of Carol Ann Tomlinson, a premiere leader and author on the subject. Her book How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms is a wonderful handbook and reference.
Below are a few key points about differentiation to give you a basis for understanding.
Three areas can be differentiated:
- Content (the curriculum and instruction)
- Process (the activities students do to understand and learn the material)
- Product (what the students produce to show they know the material)
Characteristics of differentiated instruction include:
- Classrooms that are student-centered
- Multiple opportunities and multiple ways to take in information (content), make meaning of that information (process), and demonstrate what they have learned (product)
- Standards and expectations remain the same for students
- Adjustments are made based on the individual needs of the students
- Responsive process based on student work teacher receives
- Fluidity–students who need differentiation will vary based on the content
A few “not’s”:
- Not individualized instruction
- Not a separate assignment for an individual student
- Not just for students with identified learning differences
Amanda Melsby has been a professional educator for 20 years. She taught English before working as an assistant principal and later as a high school principal. Amanda holds an Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Leadership and is currently a dean of teaching and learning.