Here’s What! (…Learning for York TCs)
Teacher Candidates will explore differentiated instruction. They will consider what differentiated instruction looks like, sounds like and feels like in the classroom. They will understand that differentiated instruction helps ensure that all learners are successful and that teachers must offer a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate the different ways students learn.
TCs will understand that they can differentiate content, process, product and/or learning environment in response to learners' readiness, interests or learning profile. They will also be introduced to high-yield instructional strategies, such as comparing similarities and differences and using non-linguistic representation.
So What? (… Linking to Practice)
Year ONE Teacher Candidates should begin observing differentiated instruction strategies in their classroom to develop links between theory and practice.
Concurrent and Year TWO Teacher Candidates should initially choose to focus on differentiating one aspect of their lessons. For example, they may find three different reading levels of text on the same subject and match these texts to readers’ readiness or reading levels. Alternatively, a TC may decide to provide their students with some choice in the text that they will read. As TCs gain a better understanding of their students’ learning profiles and they are comfortable with the curriculum they are teaching, they will become more responsive in their instruction by implementing a variety of instructional strategies that align with the different learning needs and styles in the classroom. A variety of differentiated strategies and resources are available in the MTRR (Practicum Program - Differentiated Instruction).
Now What? (…Suggestions for MT and TC Collaboration)
Mentor Teachers and Teacher Candidates might consider co-planning some differentiated learning activities or lessons. This collaborative process will help TCs learn how to respond more effectively to the instructional needs of students in their host classrooms.
Encourage Concurrent and Year TWO TCs to include some elements of differentiated instruction in their block/unit planning.
