When I was young, I used to enjoy going out in the snow and playing with my brothers and sisters. Now that I am older, I like to watch the snow fall from my window. As the snow is falling, I can’t help but think “No two snowflakes have the same pattern.” I am reminded of this when I am trying to warm my car up in the morning before work, lol. You can see the beautiful pattern on the car window before the defroster melts them away.
In the classroom, my students are like the snowflakes. No two students are the same, They all have similar traits, but their learning styles and preferences are unique. Within the classroom, it is hard to enjoy the uniqueness of each student without compromising the integrity of your curriculum. But as teachers, we can differentiate for students to help them feel successful.
What is differentiation?
Differentiation is tailoring or adjusting your instruction to meet the needs of your students. Differentiation comes in three forms in the classroom: content, process, and product. There are numerous books, articles, and professional development on differentiation in the market. Don’t feel overwhelmed in the sea of resources. Remember each student and classroom environment is different.
Here is one quick and easy way to differentiate for the students in your math class:
Content: All math teachers have some form of a curriculum they have to follow. In the state of NC, there are two high school state provided exams, Math 1 and Math 3. While there is flexibility in how we teach, these two courses are given the same state test from district to district. Differentiating the content is one way to make sure that you are reaching the majority of the students in your class. Teachers are able to change up the curriculum based on what the students’ needs or how they access the learning.
One simple way to differentiate the content is to provide the students with tiered assignments. In my PLC, we like to call our tiered assignments “Mild, Medium, Spicy”. This idea can be used when you are teaching lessons that have multiple steps. For example, we teach evaluating piecewise functions in Math 3 as part of NC.M3.F-IF.2. The problems start from evaluating piecewise with one function to using multiple functions to evaluate piecewise functions. In the worksheet below, it shows how to scaffold evaluating piecewise so that students can build upon each skill. Students start at the mild level and work their way to the spicy level.
Give it a try!!!
If you have been wanting a quick and easy way to differentiate your math content you can start by tiering some of the assignments. Remember to start with the basics and build the problems so that they become increasingly complex at the next level. Students will have a chance to start where they feel comfortable or the teacher can give them the same starting point. You can start differentiating with one math lesson that involves multiple steps or layers. Comment below if you are ready to start differentiating the content in your math classroom.