How do you overcome resistance to differentiated instruction?

Students benefit from differentiated instruction. In order to utilize data to its best advantage, it must directly correlate to targeted instruction. This is where differentiated instructional strategies comes into place so that individual, small groups, and whole classes of learners get exactly the materials they need, and teachers don’t lose valuable time seeking them out.

according to my view our five fingers are not the same. even kids we have different perspectives of learning and I do use different perspectives for both. Hence as a teacher I strongly believe each kid is different in their own perspective. Hence we can highlight the importance of student centric learning more than teacher centric learning by different polices. This resistance can also be reduced by emphazing the importance of engaging , responsiveness and attentiveness when the student actively engages in learning.

The biggest pushback I've heard is it's extra work. I always suggest looking at the objective, plan your lesson, then ask how can I extend the learning for my highest group? What can I add to support those who will struggle? Then break your lesson up using those strategies. It's very important to remember that groups should be fluid. A high flyer in reading comprehension may be in a different group for decoding lessons. Sharing with families that groups are fluid will also ease family fears that their child will be in the low group and be labeled.

Differentiated instruction remains the underutilized bridge that can link all students in the learning process and environment. When a teacher differentiates instruction, all levels of learners are given the opportunity to progress based on their strengths and weaknesses. Learners express themselves in diverse ways allowing the teacher to adjust the pace and depth of instruction thereby increasing student involvement and engagement.

Every human being has a unique learning style. Differentiated instruction is a must! It is not an option. However, class size has to be manageable! Teachers need superpowers to reach out to all needy students. This is one of the main reasons why we have a huge teacher shortage nationwide.

Educators can effectively address resistance and create a more inclusive and effective learning environment by letting all education stakeholders know the benefits of differentiated instruction and any concerns or misconceptions they may have. Professionals need all the training and support they can get to effectively implement differentiated instruction techniques in the classroom. This can help boost their confidence and self-efficacy.

Everyone wants kids to learn. Not every child is able to learn the same things in the same manner. I use the square peg/round hole as a visual. If you try to smash a square peg into a round hole you will either break the peg or break the mold. And the “teacher” will become frustrated with the outcomes. Learning the keys to what drives each child to learn and adjusting teaching styles to match benefits both the child and the teacher. I’d call that a win,win.

As an admin I share any resources that I find useful with my staff. I recommend podcasts and I showed staff how to use Chat Gpt to help w planning differentiated lessons. I am always willing to help w the planning and implementation. I also encourage interclass visits so teachers can learn from each other.

Differentiated instruction can be utilized in resource allocation, scheduling, staffing and management by school administrators. When a teacher understands the levels of student needs in the classroom, small effective targeted instruction can be delivered by a team of teachers on the same grade level to ameliorate referrals for special education. Teachers collaborate to group students according to their needs and then put them back in whole groups as soon as the gap in understanding is addressed. Some students may be slower in grasping concepts when delivered in large groups. This does not mean that there is a need for special education.

Discussing your curricula in person and via online platforms consistently while supporting parents, students and fellow collaborators (educators & admin) will assist in the trust required to build relationships to be successful as an educator. Being open to answer questions while providing resources from research based educational journals, websites and studies will help to support your systems and procedures built within your classroom and reach beyond their doors.

One thing I found helpful was to elicit feedback from the students themselves to see what they thought of the particular lesson or assessment you offered them. I have found my students insights to be invaluable in this regard!

Deploying a virtual learning platform is very crucial in this circumstance. Essentially, learners can go at their own pace, which reduces pressure, both on the learner and the teacher (or facilitator). Slow and 'busy' learners can take advantage of asynchronous characteristic of virtual learning to meet set learning objectives.

I agree with the idea of celebrating or recognising learners who are able to attain set learning objectives. A cheap way to do this is to award medal for each learning objective achieved, and then a major medal for successful completion of a learning programme.

Collaboration is key when supporting systems and procedures developed around supporting differentiation in the classroom. Simply creating a space ( data wall, mastery wall, weekly achievement boards) to celebrate students goes a very long way with continuing to solidify the why behind the importance of teaching to the whole child and meeting them where they are.

Differentiated instruction provides all stakeholders the feeling of validation that everyone matters in the learning process irrespective of abilities or disabilities. Teachers who differentiate instruction may actually enjoy working smarter not harder!

Children in a class come from diverse backgrounds - be it economic, social or intellectual, etc. they also have different aspirations. I teach accounting to my students. Not all my students want to become Chartered Accountants, some want to do BBA, some Economics, some journalism etc etc Differentiated teaching, and differentiated worksheets, depending on their understanding levels, backgrounds, aspirations, will serve the students better.

To overcome resistance to differentiated instruction, you can try the following strategies: Communicate the Benefits: Explain the advantages of differentiated instruction to stakeholders, such as teachers, parents, and administrators. Highlight how it addresses individual student needs and enhances learning outcomes. Professional Development: Offer training and support to teachers on implementing differentiated instruction effectively. This can help build their confidence and skills in adapting lessons to cater to diverse student abilities. Remember that overcoming resistance to change takes time and persistence. Patience and ongoing support are key to successfully implementing differentiated instruction in educational settings.

A major challenge to effective use of differentiated learning is the fact that in many developing countries, government, through its agencies, controls what is taught and for how long in schools. At the end of a teaching period, learners across different schools are made to sit for the same assessment in the form of examination, whether every learner is able to complete the learning tasks or not. This is a key reason why school administrators and teachers are powerless to adopt differentiated approaches to teaching.

It has to start at the administrative level. In administration's drive to standardize everything, from class schedules to the resources teachers use, there is no opportunity for differentiation. You can't march in lockstep to the beat of standardization and wave the flag of differentiation at the same time.