Diversity in Today's Schools

There is quite a bit of diversity in my service-learning classroom. There are some students who have a hard time sitting through the instructions, who are disorganized, and who cannot stay on task. There are students with different family backgrounds and with different skin color. Mrs. Wheatley addresses this diversity by differentiating her instruction in many ways:

1. She has small group reading time. While the class works on a specific language assignment, she pulls students back in small groups to work on the level of reading that is best for them. The students know their reading group by color, not by "good, better, best".
2. She has a classroom with a Print-Rich Environment. Her walls are covered prompts to help students remember what they have already learned. She also keeps current instructions prominently placed to keep students on task.
3. There is a place on the door for the student of the day, so that all students have the opportunity to be recognized for following the classroom guidelines.
4. Think, Pair, Share is a often used strategy in her classroom. Students were taught early in the school year the meaning of this phrase. Now, when Mrs. Wheatley, uses uses it, they know what is expected of them and they are able to collaborate together.
5. Finally, Mrs. Wheatley focuses on each student as an individual. She knows the strengths of students and knows how to bring those out without focusing on their struggles. I think this is best shown when she is teaching a new math concept. After instructing the students, she gives them a practice question. Once they think they know the answer, they raise their hand and she checks their work. If they are right, they get to become a helper and they go around offering to help classmates who are still working.

I enjoy seeing how the students really light up when they see Mrs. Wheatley for the first time that day. They know she cares about them and they care about coming to learn because of it.