Differentiation in a classroom can be challenging especially when your students read on various

reading levels and all have specific literacy needs that need to be met. In general education classes where
the class sizes are larger, meeting students needs while maintaining differentiated instruction is also a
challenge. You may ask, what is differentiation and why is it important? Differentiation is responsive
instruction designed to meet unique individual student needs (Watts-Taffe). According to Tomlinson
(2001), Differentiating can occur by focusing on the process by which students learn, the products or
demonstrations of their learning, the environment in which they learn, or the content they are
learning(Watts-Taffe). Differentiation is important because all of the students in your classroom are each
unique and learn differently, therefore they need to have various ways of learning and making connections
and it is the teacher that drives this engaging learning experience.
Does differentiation mean doing all of those cute time consuming arts and crafts projects you see
on Pinterest? Absolutely not, but you need to be sure that you are meeting all of your students educational
needs and setting them up for success by providing them with several ways for them to show you what
they know and make it memorable. As a first year teacher, I remember spending the summer before I
started teaching re-pinning all the cutesy lessons just because they were visually appealing. However,
there has to be more meaning behind the jellyfish paper plate craft or the Frozen themed snow bling.
What can we do as educators that our students will remember why we did these projects and activities in
our classroom? If our students can remember the specific skills we teach and apply it now as well as
years down the road inside and outside of the classroom, then we have done our job. The issue in
classrooms today is that most teachers are not giving their students the full learning experience they need
which includes having differentiated instruction.
If differentiation is so important, then why are teachers not practicing it in their classrooms? As
educators we must have the resources, knowledge and skills to better assist our students. With having
students on different reading levels and some students who are English Language Learners differentiating
can be tough because it takes a lot of careful and thorough planning. This takes extra planning and effort

that we may not have the energy or time for in our already long and busy work days. Differentiation is not
something that we can just wing, we must take the time out of our busy schedules to carefully think
through and plan. Teachers must not just fall back on what has always been done in the past and do what
is easy, but instead stay current with what studies have proven to be beneficial for students and apply it.

Another reason why teachers are not differentiating is because they are lacking the proper
knowledge and resources to perform. Schools need to keep their teachers attending workshops
and exposing them to new ideas and information to keep their students engaged in their
classrooms. As Cobb states, in Turning on a Dime: Making Change in Literacy Classrooms,
School staff need guidance on not only what to teach but also how to teach so that all children
can learn. By providing teachers with workshops, websites, opportunities to observe other
classrooms to get ideas, and networking with other teachers and schools, they are expanding their
knowledge about differentiation and what it looks like in the classroom. The best way to learn
something is by seeing and practicing it! I believe that if teachers had more resources and
attended workshops on differentiation; they would be more likely to incorporate differentiation
in their own classrooms.
In conclusion, differentiation is essential for students to receive the rich and engaging
learning experiences they deserve in school. Teachers are responsible for making sure they are
differentiating instruction and understanding what this looks like in their classrooms. If teachers
are having difficulty or feel like they need more assistance, they need to contact their principals
and administrators and work on getting more resources and trainings to benefit their students.
Building administrators and reading specialists can assist and support teachers who are willing
to make a change and implement differentiation, inter-actions, monitoring, and extended time for
learning in their classrooms (Cobb 2004). We must not do a disservice to our students simply

because we are lacking being proactive and working together with school faculty to give children
the better, meaningful learning experiences that we did not have when we were in school. By
carefully planning with grade level teammates, networking with other teachers and schools, and
attending trainings and workshops, teachers are more likely to feel more comfortable with
differentiation and will actually apply it with their own students.

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