How Do Teachers Benefit From a Differentiated Curriculum?
Teachers benefit from a differentiated curriculum in preparation time and classroom application. By representing multiple skill levels in a broad-based curriculum, the teacher is given options to teach the same lesson in multiple different ways to several different students. The skills of the teacher allow them to teach in that differentiated setting of multiple lessons occurring at the same time in the same classroom.
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Differentiated Instruction
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Differentiated instruction is the solution for a classroom that has learners at multiple levels. It is difficult to teach to a class of 25 children when it is possible that there can be five different levels of learning from "difficulty understanding" to "creative synthesis." This style of teaching allows the teacher to teach to groups of students separately in one class period during a guided or group activity. One group may be able to complete it by themselves while another may need constant guidance.
Differentiated Curriculum
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The idea of a differentiated curriculum is a curriculum that has multiple levels of abilities represented in each lesson. Teachers can prepare, using the knowledge of their students present abilities, by allocating multiple groups of resources and planning class time appropriately. Under a normal circumstance of a teacher having to adjust during the actual lesson to differentiate, time is lost. And the students who excel the most will be prevented from moving forward.
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Preparation Time
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Teachers spend much of their personal time preparing for lessons. If in a situation where they must create a differentiated lesson plan, it will become exponentially easier if the curriculum is differentiated. This saves research time and allows the teacher to focus on preparing delivery of content rather than the actual core of differentiated material. Administrators like to see multiple groups working cohesively in a classroom. By using this special curriculum, students will be in a more relaxed environment as the teacher can focus on teaching.
Application Time
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During the actual teaching of a lesson, if a teacher needs to isolate students to re-teach certain aspects, they would most likely send the bulk of the class down a road of busy work or have them immediately continue the reading/assignment on their own. By having a differentiated curriculum already prepared, complete with materials lists and multiple lesson ideas, the teacher can adjust by offering constructive and productive materials that reinforce those students who already understand. Then the teacher can momentarily focus on bringing the rest of class up to speed without losing time trying to re-invent the wheel constantly.
Methods
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There are multiple teaching methods and philosophies, from cooperative learning to the application of multiple intelligences. Teachers teach in the ways they are most comfortable. A differentiated curriculum would allow teachers to harness the benefits of multiple methods in one class period to enhance the learning of several groups of students. If the school district is involved in curriculum mapping, then this goes to the next level. The teacher would be able to simply print out everything they need for each level of differentiation from one local source.
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References
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