Differentiating Instruction: What & Why?

I remember being in Intro to Education many semesters ago and hearing "differentiating your instruction". What the crap did this mean?! I had no idea. We didn't talk in depth about it, just a few quick sentences and then moved on. When the Elementary Education program started, I began to learn more about being a differentiated teacher and what exactly it meant to do so. 

As Carol Ann Tomlinson described in her book, differentiated instruction is basically responsive instruction. Differentiated instruction happens when we as teachers look at our students as individuals and focus on what their individual interests and needs are. It's when we take our lessons and adjust them to accommodate for everyone's needs. It's when we're willing to go above and beyond to help all our students succeed. 

There are four traits that teachers must take into consideration to ensure their students are receiving the best and most effective instruction. I believe it's important to constantly think about these four traits and the effect they have on your students as well as your classroom.

1. Readiness- refers to a student's knowledge, understanding, and skill related to sequence of learning.

2. Interest- refers to the topics that evoke curiosity and passion within our learners.

3. Learning Profile- refers to how our students learn from the best.

4. Affect- refers to how students feel about themselves, their work, and the classroom as a whole. 

When I began to feel comfortable with the idea of differentiating instruction, I realized it's not about where the students are; advanced, on grade-level, or struggling. It's about where you take each student. It's about helping each student get to the next level. It's about working with each student as an individual and believing in them with your whole heart.