“What we call differentiated is not a recipe for teaching. It is not an instructional strategy. It is not what a

teacher does when he or she has time. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning. It is a philosophy.”

-Carol Ann Tomlinson

I believe the above quote. I believe that differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about teaching and

learning. This way of thinking has shaped my professional life as I continue to strive to do what is best for my

colleagues and fellow educators.

I have a passion for differentiating instruction that spans over a decade of training. I was first asked to

facilitate a workshop on differentiated instruction in December of 1997. I had read many books and articles on the

topic and revisited them. After preparing the workshop content, I pondered over what to call my presentation. No

title seemed to express what I was trying to say better than, Differentiated Instruction: A Learner’s Bill of

Rights. I knew that I was on the right track when I took a master set of handouts to a local printing shop to be

copied for the workshop.

The clerk who took my order looked at the title page, then back at me. She shook her head vehemently and said, “Will

the people you are presenting to believe it? I hope so. If more teachers thought this way, then my son wouldn’t have

struggled every year.”

She went on to tell me the story of her son’s school career. He was an average learner who never really qualified

for resource or intervention. According to the district standard’s and testing instruments, he wasn’t considered

gifted or talented. Basically, he didn’t get anything extra because he didn’t meet the criteria. However, she said,

he was a divergent learner. His teachers primarily taught whole group from the front of the classroom. The main

tools used for disseminating information were textbooks and worksheets. Her son learned best through hands-on

experiences where he was allowed to move around and participate verbally. His teachers thought he was disrespectful

when he wouldn’t finish all of his workbook pages while sitting quietly at his desk in the last row. Sound familiar

to anyone?

While the handout copies were being made she continued to tell me her son’s story. She kept going back to the fact

that he learned differently and never had those differences recognized, respected, and integrated into his learning.

She wasn’t angry, but she just wondered what would have happened if his teachers had been willing to change what

they were doing in their classroom so that her son would have been excited about learning. She wondered if he would

have had the chance to prove to himself that he was smart.

She asked me what I was going to tell the teachers I was working with that week. She really wanted to know how I was

going to convince the teachers who didn’t want to change. I told her that I was going to help the teachers explore

ways to shake up what was going on in their classroom and to move each and every student ahead a little bit more

than where they were the day before.

The more I shared with her, the more she shook her head in agreement. She eventually called over several other

employees and asked me to explain what I was doing to them. Every single person I spoke with that day knew of

someone who had been impacted by the packaging of education in a one size fits all manner. Each time I have

presented on the topic, “Differentiated Instruction: A Learner’s Bill of Rights,” I hear a story about a learner who

fell through the cracks in their educational setting. I know my role isn’t just to instruct and facilitate workshops

on the topic. I hope to inspire other educators to more rigorously and systematically differentiating instruction. I

hope to encourage all schools to truly do what is best for all students.

Students have a right to a learning environment that responds to their needs. Students have the right to have

multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn (Tomlinson, 2000).

Students have the right to be respectfully, meaningfully, and qualitatively challenged every day so they can reach

and exceed their potential. Tabor Rotation is a structure for helping teachers provide for these rights.

This week’s podcast, “Differentiating Instruction Using Tabor Rotation” explains how the structure of Tabor Rotation

naturally integrates the key components of differentiated instruction into a week of mathematics. The podcast

discusses how Tabor Rotation is a perfect tool for differentiating instruction in the mathematics classroom. I will

discuss how Tabor Rotation provides for all learners through the differentiating of content, process, and product

based on a learner’s style, interests, and readiness level. You will probably want to print out the free Tabor

Rotation Planning Guide to refer to during the podcast. There is also a sample Tabor Rotation Planning Guide that

may assist you when planning on your own.
Be sure and sign up for regular notification of podcasts via ITunes at the top of this page. Become a part of the

Tabor Rotation collaborative community of learners by clicking the buttons for Twitter and Facebook that are on this

page. Remember…if you have questions or comments email me, glenna@taborrotation.com or via my website email.

I’ve been to Montgomery County, Maryland since my last blog and worked with some of the most dedicated teachers as

they realized their vision for their students. In late October I was in Flour Bluff ISD in south Texas. I was so

impressed with the receptivity and enthusiasm of the teachers and administrators! In one demonstration of Tabor

Rotation we explored prime and composite numbers, factor pairs, factor rainbows, and greatest common factor. The

students were “sold” on the effectiveness of the structure and couldn’t wait to do it again!Not only that, but the

students knew what all of the concepts were and wanted to know more!!!

In a few weeks, I’ll be back in San Antonio ISD. Tabor Rotation was introduced in October and I’m going back to

support their incredible efforts to do what is best for all of their students. For those of you who are on this

journey with me and are trying to “shake up” the mathematics instruction in your room, I believe this quote is about

you:

“Innovators and creators are persons who can, to a higher degree than average accept the condition of aloneness.

They are more willing to follow their own vision even when it takes them far from the mainland of the human

community. Unexplored spaces do not frighten them- or as much as they frighten those around them. This is one of the

secrets of their power. That which we call “genius” has a great deal to do with courage and daring, a great deal to

do with nerve.”

-Nathaniel Branden