- 1s, 2s, 3s, & 4s - Often in class, it is difficult to work between those who understand the focus standard and those who are struggling with that same standard. In order to work more effectively, move those students who are struggling to the front (1s and 2s), and move those who understand or have mastered the standard to the back of the classroom. For the 1s and 2s, using the SmartBoard (or whatever board) model - out loud - how you would think through each step of the process of the focus standard. For the 3s and 4s, have an extension assignment that will require them to move deeper into the standard.
- 1s - understand little of the standard
- 2s - with help can understand the standard
- 3s - understand the standard by themselves
- 4s - can teach the standard if needed
- Should you find yourself with more 1s and 2s than 3s and 4s, have the 3s and 4s sit among the 1s and 2s to help teach / work though the lesson you are modeling for them.
- Grouping Students to Work Together - There are many ways to group students. You can group students by
- ability (the same types of ability)
- varying ability (stronger students with struggling students)
- gender
- randomly (I like the SmartBoard random group maker)
- clock partners
- clock partners - using a clock image, have students exchange and sign on the same time number to pre-identify partners, so that time in class is used at a maximum.
- student interest
- student learning preferences
- Some argue that students shouldn't be grouped by ability; however, if students are grouped numerous ways, they will not know when they are grouped by ability. To see a somewhat long (12 mins) but good video on this, click below.
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| Love his "Thinking Notes" too. I use them all the time! |
- Leading questions - Leading questions should scaffold students from where they are to deepening their understanding of a topic / standard. Some examples of leading questions are:
- Give me a specific example of...
- What would happen if...?
- Why is ... important?
- How does ... affect ...?
- Explain how ...?
- Explain why...?
- Tiering Work Products - at a workshop I heard a man (I have forgotten his name) give an analogy. He said in middle school, at the start of the school year, he would tape two pencils at the top of the whiteboard. He choose a tall girl, and he asked her to get one of the pencils. She easily jumped up and grabbed a pencil. He would then choose a short boy, and he would ask him to do the same. As the shorter student tried to jump, the other students would say it was unfair of him to expect the shorter boy to be able to get the pencil. He would then ask the class if they had a problem if he allowed the boy to use anything in the class to assist him. The students whole heartedly approved of this, and the boy took a chair, moved it to the wall, stood on it, and he was able to get the pencil. Did each student get the pencil? The purpose for each student was to get the pencil. Each accomplished the task. Using this analogy, then why don't we allow students to use whatever tools are necessary to get to the end product of learning? Tiering can look like:
- scaffolding texts - use lower level texts so students can understand the standard needed, then scaffold to high rigor texts on grade level.
- accept different work product - allow students to show their mastery of standards in different ways. Yes, all our students must test at the end of the year, but those who struggle in "typical" testing mode may be able to show mastery in alternative ways (art, video, song, speech...) which can build confidence - and again scaffold to "typical" testing situations.
- according to NSTA.org - tiered lessons are the meat and potatoes of differentiated instruction. A tiered lesson addresses a particular standard, key concept, and generalization, but allows several pathways for students to arrive at an understanding of these components.
Good luck, and may the Force be with you!
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