I recently discovered an idea-packed essay on differentiation techniques written by educator Emma Davies and could not wait to share it here. Most articles on DI offer ideas that those of us in the field have seen and read many times before (e.g., tiering, cubing, station teaching). These ideas may be on-target and useful, but they may not always be fresh and new. Davies caught my attention because several of her suggestions were a bit different. So, if you are someone who reads a lot on this topic and want a few new tips, click on over and check out her “6 Steps to Differentiated Instruction”.
My favorite idea is the use of a classroom “help desk”. Davies spends a few weeks at the beginning of each year teaching her students how to use the materials she provides to get themselves “unstuck” when they are struggling. As Davies explains, “This minimizes the interruptions from children freeing me up to work with targeted groups of students.” Brilliant!
About Paula Kluth
