In a
previous post, I mentioned our district is doing our DI initiative right, which
means slow implementation, training for teachers and administration, extra
staff/support, and continuous professional development. As a campus instructional specialist (IS) I
was part of the initial training, and I helped roll-out the plans to our
departments, common planning teams, and campus.
Our year-3 framework and goals are now in place, and this summer, I am
working on a new-and-improved classroom.
My First
Ah-Ha Moments…
#1: One
of the first things we learned was the DI is NOT a set of strategies, but it is
a way of thinking about teaching and
learning. It starts with Mindset.
It is about being proactive. We
plan to share this video with our new teachers to get them motivated about DI:
#2: One teacher used the analogy that she previously
thought of teaching as triage: kids who need the most help get a blood
transfusion and transplant, but those who already “got it” would be fine with a
band-aid. But DI means to move kids,
where ever they are, from one level to the next. So that means if after the first week of
school I already know a student would make a 5 on an AP exam, I must find a way
to move her beyond that. And when
a non-English speaking refugee enrolls in my class, I cannot let him keep
falling behind, but I must find a way to move him forward, even if by mere
millimeters. DI is teaching up.
#3: DI
does NOT always mean “activities” and group work. Parts of the lesson will be whole group
instruction. When you do utilize group
work, the groups should be flexible. (I intend to explain that part of my journey in
another post!)
Next…
The non-negotiables
of DI are high-quality curriculum, supportive classroom community, continuous
assessment, flexible grouping, and respectful tasks, but all components are
intertwined. Texas is not a CCSS state
(we have TEKS) and our district provides curriculum for tested subjects, so our
district/campus focus is the remaining 4 non-negotiables.
Side-note:
I teach pre-AP pre-calculus, which is not tested, so one summer project was to
transform my old curriculum to one of “higher quality.” I researched Essential Questions and Understanding By Design to write my KUDs (know-understand-do). (The “do” part is what I will differentiate!)
DI and Assessments…
I
completely believe in the power of continuous assessment, so what happens next? What does it look like in my classroom?
My
students complete a pre-assessment/exit ticket/quick classroom check for
understanding (which is why I’m lovin’ #EFAmath) and I realize that most kids
are ready to move on, but a few are still stuck on one concept. While the majority of the class is working on
something else, I call those few kids to the board at the back of the room, and
we hold a “10-minute tutorial” on the missing concept. (One example of flexible grouping is to group
by readiness.) And because we have
established a sense of community and respect in our classroom, no one has a problem with being a tutoree. We have this sign hanging in our classroom, and students realize we will do whatever it takes to make each person successful!
Real-life
example: one master teacher at our school was ready to “DI-it” from day one,
and her level 3 students completed a pre-assessment during the first week of
school. She realized 1-2 students lacked
a bit of knowledge, so she created an opportunity in class to pull those kids
aside for a review. The problem: one
student was so upset and proclaimed, “I know why you’re pulling us aside! You
took our quiz from yesterday and put us in groups! I’m not dumb!” Teacher and student continued the
conversation in the hall, and the teacher quickly soothed the student. When the teacher reflected on the situation,
she said she had not yet had time to build the community in her class and establish trust with her students. Bingo!
DI Goals…
This
process all makes sense in my head, and I can’t wait to try it out in this year’s
classrooms. I will have high quality,
engaging lessons (thanks to EQs and TLAP). Because I am familiar with the curriculum, I am aware of the typical tough spots, and will be proactive in my planning. Formative assessments will be a regular part of the curriculum (thanks
EFA) and I will immediately use the results to plan for and respond to students’ needs. I will
create a supportive classroom community.
Students will understand that when grouped, their teams will change
regularly, depending on their needs, the lesson, or activity.
It
sounds so reasonable, but there are so many other components that are part
of this whole process.
Whew, what a journey! To be
continued…
Summer Educational Reads:
Embedded Formative Assessment, Dylan Wiliam
Essential Questions, Jay McTighe & Grant Wiggins
How to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills In Your Classroom, Susan M. Brookhart
Leadership for Differentiating Schools and Classrooms, Carol Ann Tomlinson & Susan D. Allan
Teach Like a Pirate, Dave Burgess
