I just sent my latest book to the editor.  It was a collaboration with a colleague, Stephanie Haskins, and the book is entitled, “A Practical Guide to Tiering Instruction in the Differentiated Classroom:  Classroom-Tested Strategies, Management Tools, Assessment Ideas, and More to Help You Create Effective Tiered Lessons That Work for Every Learner.  It is set to be released September 2010.

Obviously, writing about the topic has brought a heightened awareness to me regarding the levels of differentiation that are (and aren’t) evident in schools.  I have had opportunities to visit K-12 classrooms around the country and the conversation about differentiation always comes up.

Just recently, I visited a math classroom which was an inclusion class with two co-teachers—one fourth grade and one special education.  Both teachers had great rapport with the 22 students.  The class was well-organized and the content was accurate.  The one catch was instruction was primarily whole group and there were 4 to 6 students who appeared to already get the concept of adding and subtracting decimals.  They waited patiently…but where was the differentiated instruction?

Think about it.  Even if those students only waited 4-5 minutes during this class, if waiting for the others to catch up is typical, then over the period of one month they may lose as much as two hours of instruction.

There is no single fool-proof formula for differentiating instruction.  Consider these paragraphs from the new book (unedited.)

Differentiation at a Glance

Differentiation occurs when teachers plan instruction recognizing that students have different entry points for new content to be learned, unique background experiences that help facilitate learning, and specific interests and learning styles that–when tapped into—can elevate achievement. Teachers who differentiate pre-assess to find out what students already know and use the assessments to guide instruction and grouping.  Though many elements of differentiation will be discussed, of greatest importance is that teachers recognize the need to differentiate and have the heart to do so. The tools and techniques can be acquired.

  A differentiated lesson counters a traditional, old-school mindset that students can be taught at the same pace, from the same materials, using the same teaching strategies, grouped with the same students on a day-to-day basis. But then you know this!  If you are teaching the way students need to be taught, you’re not standing up and pouring content into student vessels who are supposed to fill up with knowledge. You aren’t asking an entire class to open books up to the same page and start reading or following along. Using just one teaching strategy never crosses your mind; and keeping students in the same group week after week isn’t even a consideration.

I hope you will be interested in the book!