top of page

Perspective on Specialized & Differentiated Instruction

In urban settings, there is a great need for teachers who are dedicated to inspiring students to reach beyond their potential. I believe that all of my students deserve access to quality education, as well as teachers who can challenge and support their growth as individuals. 

 

This year, I worked in a fully inclusive school. In my 7th and 8th grade English classes, I taught students with learning

IMG_2464_edited.jpg

disabilities, English Language Learners, students who were gifted and talented, and other diverse learners. I gained experience with station teaching during the school year, where my students received differentiated academic instruction based on their standardized test scores and Individual Education Program considerations. With students ranging from kindergarten to high school reading levels, I differentiated the content by providing scaffolds to meet the individual needs of my students. These scaffolds included but were not limited to, graphic organizers, visual and auditory aids, word banks, sentence starters, and note catchers. I like to have students work in strategic groupings with a “Choose Your Challenge” approach to learning. This gives them an opportunity to choose which path to access content tailored to their level (mild, medium, spicy.)

                      Mild                                              Medium                                            Spicy

 

For my students who benefit from Tier 2 small-group instruction, I have experience with implementing the Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention curriculum. In the past year, I learned how to work with a packaged curriculum and tailor the material to better meet my students’ needs. I learned the importance of building strong relationships and getting to know my students’ academic personas as part of targeting instruction to meet their particular needs. Having had this experience, I am now familiar with how to implement Tier 2 instruction for the future. I know how to collect formative and summative data on my students, as well as how to analyze Reading Records and determine accuracy rate, fluency, reading comprehension, and reading rate. I look forward to applying these skills in my teaching practice and hope to continue working with small groups in my future classroom.

bottom of page