How To Help Teachers Manage Multiple Challenges In Today's Classrooms Part 2

6/9/2024

In order to manage the multiple challenges in today's classrooms we need to address ways of differentiating during lessons and how to handle multiple groups at the same time. For the purposes of this blog post, I will look at differentiation in math and literacy and I will try to address ways to deal with active classrooms.

Managing multiple challenges with differentiation

Differentiating Lessons In Math

There are several different strategies available that can be used to make teaching math work more successfully in classrooms with a wide range of understanding and knowledge of math concepts and skills. A cookie cutter lesson will not work well if some students are struggling and others are bored because they already know the concepts being taught.

Here are some suggestions to help make math time work for more students and help teachers maintain some sanity.

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Guided Math Groups

Guided math groups can help with tailoring the lessons to the abilities of specific groups of students. The curriculum area can be addressed with material at different levels covering the same concept.

Begin by dividing students into small groups based on their current understanding of a math concept. Then prepare appropriate materials and activities that will work with these groups. Some groups may be working on foundational skills while others may be working on more complex concepts within the same area.

Here are some possible differentiations strategies for lessons.

For groups that are struggling, start with visuals and manipulatives and work on concrete activities before moving to the abstract forms.

Provide scaffolding and small group instruction with smaller, more manageable chunks of information or simpler questions and problems to ensure that the concept is understood before adding more complex material.

Try using a stations approach so that the same basic concepts and skills are being used but with different levels of material or skills according to the needs of the students.

Use technology to provide games and activities that can be tailored to the needs of the students.

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Math Concepts Differentiation Examples

When teaching addition and subtraction provide different levels of questions and activities such as basic facts, double digit subtraction without regrouping, addition and subtraction with regrouping, larger number addition and subtraction, basic word problems and more complex combinations of these skills for those needing enrichment.

For a lesson on multiplication, create tiered worksheets with different levels of difficulty. For example, one worksheet could focus on basic multiplication facts up to 10, another could involve two-digit by one-digit multiplication, and a third could include word problems requiring multi-step multiplication.

For long division, start with simple division problems and gradually increase the difficulty as students demonstrate proficiency.

For fractions, students who struggle could work on foundational skills while others work on more advanced fraction operations or problem-solving tasks.

Offer a choice board with various math activities related to the same topic. For instance, for a unit on geometry, students could choose to complete tasks such as creating geometric shapes with manipulatives, solving geometry puzzles, researching real-world applications of geometry, or designing their own geometric patterns.

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Differentiating Reading Lessons

To handle the wide range of levels in reading, guided reading is a popular go-to because it allows for small group instruction that meets the needs of the various groups. During guided reading sessions, it's possible to provide tailored support to small groups of students as they read texts at their instructional level. Using prompts, questions, and scaffolding techniques helps to deepen comprehension and develop critical thinking skills. Close reading activities can also be differentiated based on students' readiness levels, with varying levels of text complexity and support.

Work stations and rotations help with managing the reading groups that are not getting instruction from the teacher. This allows the teacher to do mini-lessons or instructional sessions with one group at a time while the other groups engage in independent or collaborative activities. It's important for the teacher to rotate between groups as needed, providing targeted instruction, feedback, and support based on each group's needs and progress.

Prepare a variety of assignments and activities that cater to the diverse needs and abilities of each group. Offer options for students to choose tasks based on their interests, learning styles, or readiness levels. Provide scaffolding and support materials as needed to ensure that all students can successfully complete the tasks.

Differentiating Responding To Reading and Writing

Set up word work stations with activities targeting different literacy skills, such as phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Students can rotate through the stations and choose activities that align with their individual needs and interests. For example, one station might focus on decoding skills, while another might involve vocabulary games or word sorts.

Offer a variety of options for responding to texts to accommodate different learning preferences and abilities. For example, students can choose to write a summary, create a visual representation (such as a poster or comic strip), participate in a book discussion, or record a video book review.

Provide graphic organizers and visual aids to help students organize their thoughts and make connections between ideas. Visual supports can include story maps, Venn diagrams, concept webs, and graphic timelines. These tools can be especially helpful for students who struggle with reading comprehension or expressing their ideas in writing.

Offer a range of writing prompts and assignments that allow students to demonstrate their understanding in different ways. For example, students can choose to write a narrative, persuasive essay, informational report, or creative poem based on the same topic or theme. Provide scaffolding and modeling as needed to support students in developing their writing skills.

Incorporate a variety of multimedia resources and technologies to engage students and accommodate different learning preferences. This can include audio books, podcasts, digital interactive texts, educational videos, and online learning platforms. Providing options for how students access and interact with texts can increase motivation and accessibility.

By incorporating these differentiated instructional strategies, teachers can effectively address the diverse learning needs of their students and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

Working With Active Classrooms

Every year the makeup in a classroom is different. Sometimes it's a quiet, work-focused group, sometimes it is a bouncy, active group, and other times it is a mix of somewhere in between. Classroom strategies for management need to be flexible to address these different kinds of classes. It's important to maintain the basic rules, guidelines, and routines for a respectful, caring environment, but the day to day approach to lessons needs to change to meet the needs of each different class we have.

When you have an active class, it's important to have lots of movement, body breaks, hands on activities and variety in your day. Kids will need to know when you require quiet work and understand that they will have time to talk and move at other times during the day. If you show them that these times are there, and allow them to be more active at these times you may be surprised to find that they can work quietly for periods of time. This may take some time to establish, so you should make the quiet work times short at the beginning and gradually increase the length throughout the year.

It's important to note that not all the children work well in active situations, so you need to find some balance for those kids too. Maybe you can find some quieter areas in the room for them or provide headphones. The rest of the class will need to understand that not all people work well in the same environment so it's necessary to work together to help each other find a way to work well and be respectful of the ways each one works best. If the class works out some ways together, they will be more willing to follow them.

When confronted with multiple challenges and complex teaching situations there's no quick fix, but with strategies and support from administration and others, hopefully some of these situations will be a bit more manageable.