Posts Tagged: Differentiating Instruction

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“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” -Flora Whittemore “My basic principle is that you don’t make decisions because they are easy; you don’t make them because they are cheap; you don’t make them because they’re popular; you make them because they’re right.”…

Grouping in Math Using Tabor Rotation

“Always behave like a duck-keep calm and unruffled on the surface, but paddle like the devil underneath.” -Lord Barbizon “Help! My class is so much BIGGER this year… …what do I do?” “I just found out that I have 28-30 students. How do I use math stations now?”…

Is differentiating instruction worth the effort?

How do I know differentiating instruction works? Will using small groups in the classroom really make a difference when they sit and listen to my lecture? What’s the big deal about Tabor Rotation? As one math supervisor put it, “Tabor Rotation changes everything. It helps students think.…

Tip for Small Groups in Math: Use Leaders!

“The task of leadership is not to put greatness in to humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”     -John Buchan This summer I’ve had the honor of working with a great number of dedicated educators. These educators have come with a positive attitude and an open mind.…

Grouping Students via a Value Line & Folded Spectrum

How can a teacher ensure simultaneous interaction in their classroom? How do you easily and quickly group students? How can one assess the depth of their students’ understanding of a concept? One simple, interactive, and non-threatening way to do this is by using a “Value Line” and a “Folded Spectrum.”…

Teachers, Tailors, & Swimming Pools

“The only person who behaves sensibly is my tailor.  He takes my measure every time he sees me.  All the rest go on with their old measurements.” -George Bernard Shaw I was reminded of the importance of on-going assessment while watching my children swim at the neighborhood pool.…

Engagement Matters!

A friend, knowing how strongly I feel about the power of engaging students in a classroom, sent me a link to a news article. After reading the article, she said it sounded like my kind of classroom. The study, conducted with Canadian college students, compared a lecture format with an interactive format.…

Simultaneous vs. Sequential Interaction

What is the difference between simultaneous and sequential interaction? When I first pose this question to students, I ask them to think about the definition of each word for a couple of minutes. Then I ask them to share with their partner what they thought (Think-Pair-Share).…

A Sneak “Peek” at Small-Group, Differentiated Instruction

How can a teacher become more efficient in the classroom? How can our schools make the most of mathematical minutes? What does RtI (Response to Intervention) look like in a high school classroom? What does a week of small-group, differentiated instruction look like? Help! Elementary & secondary level teachers, administrators, leadership teams, departments, and districts are looking for good examples of small-group, differentiated instruction in mathematics.…

Pre-Asssessing, Gathering Information, Making Waves!

“Why go into something to test the waters ? Go into it to make waves.” Pre-Assessment and On-Going Assessment are some of the Essential Elements of the Tabor Rotation Framework. They’re also foundational components in a differentiated classroom. Whether you’re sophisticating your methods for assessing your students or just beginning to use on-going assessments, they’re a great place to begin a journey differentiating instruction in a classroom.…