Standard #3: Adapting Instruction for Individual Needs
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
With an understanding that all students are different in their approach to learning and adapts instruction based on these differences. It is important that there are a variety of instructional opportunities available for learners to create their own understanding for new topics. There should always be multiple ways to learn the same material so that students can explore and discover new topics and learn in meaningful ways. The diversity of the population of a class requires teachers to think about each student’s culture, family, background, etc. in order to accommodate and create instructional opportunities that allow all students to understand new or different information.
The material that I chose to represent InTASC Standard #3 are books that were used for a lesson in the inclusive 2nd grade classroom I was placed in. The lesson allowed students to explore 4 different Cinderella books from different countries. Using the 4 different versions of Cinderella allowed the class to observe that although the stories differed because of the culture that each book took place in, all of the Cinderella stories had the same problem, moral, and characters. There are two students in the class from India and four students who have IEP’s, so having the various versions especially benefitted their understanding because they were able to connect to the story in a more meaningful way. The rest of the class was able to see that there is not one set way to tell a story and that although our cultures may be different, we can still connect with one another through literature. To begin the lesson, the students were split into 4 groups and each group read a different version together. After reading the version, they responded to what they read and how their version was similar and different to the original version in their reader’s notebooks. Once everyone had their thoughts recorded, they came back together as a small group to have a discussion about what they had written in their notebooks. After the groups discussed their version, the class came together to give summaries of their version and compare all the versions. Having the students work individually on their responses in their notebooks, together in small groups, collaborating in a whole group, and using the Smartboard to display the books during the whole group discussion allowed all learners to be engaged in many different instructional opportunities that supported their learning. This lesson successfully promoted a safe learning environment in which the students had to be active, respectful listeners while participating in many different ways, such as thinking individually and collaborating to create ideas together.
InTASC Standard #3 addresses the need of teachers to be aware of the diversity of a class and to take into account the different approaches to learning for each student. It is important that teachers understand that students come from a variety of cultures, classes, ethnicities, etc. and this may affect a student’s approach to learning that will then affect a teacher’s approach to teaching. The Cinderella lesson allowed the students to understand that having a different culture is acceptable and we can embrace each other for our differences and learn from one another. During the lesson, I gave many students positive encouragements while they shared and thumbs up or the hand gesture used to say “me too” if I agreed or had a connection to encourage the learner’s participation and make them feel confident in their responses. This was important because students were bringing unique thoughts and ideas to the lesson.
The artifact shown above demonstrates my growth and development as a teacher because from this lesson, I was able to see the benefits of diversity in a classroom and how a teacher can embrace these differences to teach students. The day before this lesson, the class had read and discussed a classic Cinderella story. They had gone over the characters, setting, problem, moral, etc. However, having this follow up lesson with different versions of Cinderella brought the story elements to life and students were able to learn about and from one another about their cultures. I will continue to consider the affects of diversity in the classroom and think about ways to use and embrace student differences to create a stronger learning community.
The material that I chose to represent InTASC Standard #3 are books that were used for a lesson in the inclusive 2nd grade classroom I was placed in. The lesson allowed students to explore 4 different Cinderella books from different countries. Using the 4 different versions of Cinderella allowed the class to observe that although the stories differed because of the culture that each book took place in, all of the Cinderella stories had the same problem, moral, and characters. There are two students in the class from India and four students who have IEP’s, so having the various versions especially benefitted their understanding because they were able to connect to the story in a more meaningful way. The rest of the class was able to see that there is not one set way to tell a story and that although our cultures may be different, we can still connect with one another through literature. To begin the lesson, the students were split into 4 groups and each group read a different version together. After reading the version, they responded to what they read and how their version was similar and different to the original version in their reader’s notebooks. Once everyone had their thoughts recorded, they came back together as a small group to have a discussion about what they had written in their notebooks. After the groups discussed their version, the class came together to give summaries of their version and compare all the versions. Having the students work individually on their responses in their notebooks, together in small groups, collaborating in a whole group, and using the Smartboard to display the books during the whole group discussion allowed all learners to be engaged in many different instructional opportunities that supported their learning. This lesson successfully promoted a safe learning environment in which the students had to be active, respectful listeners while participating in many different ways, such as thinking individually and collaborating to create ideas together.
InTASC Standard #3 addresses the need of teachers to be aware of the diversity of a class and to take into account the different approaches to learning for each student. It is important that teachers understand that students come from a variety of cultures, classes, ethnicities, etc. and this may affect a student’s approach to learning that will then affect a teacher’s approach to teaching. The Cinderella lesson allowed the students to understand that having a different culture is acceptable and we can embrace each other for our differences and learn from one another. During the lesson, I gave many students positive encouragements while they shared and thumbs up or the hand gesture used to say “me too” if I agreed or had a connection to encourage the learner’s participation and make them feel confident in their responses. This was important because students were bringing unique thoughts and ideas to the lesson.
The artifact shown above demonstrates my growth and development as a teacher because from this lesson, I was able to see the benefits of diversity in a classroom and how a teacher can embrace these differences to teach students. The day before this lesson, the class had read and discussed a classic Cinderella story. They had gone over the characters, setting, problem, moral, etc. However, having this follow up lesson with different versions of Cinderella brought the story elements to life and students were able to learn about and from one another about their cultures. I will continue to consider the affects of diversity in the classroom and think about ways to use and embrace student differences to create a stronger learning community.