Teacher F

Teaches various levels of history

How did you learn about differentiated instruction in college?

How was it presented?
o

Do you feel you were adequately trained to use

differentiated instruction while you were in college? In your
districts/schools professional development training?

In college, I learned that differentiation was only for those students

that were enrolled in Special Education Services and that the
differentiated assignments would be dictated by their IEP and the SPED
case manager. It was not something that the regular education
teacher was responsible for at all.
I feel that I have been taught since college how to adequately
differentiated instruction and I do see the importance of it. Not all
students that benefit from differentiation meet the requirements for
Special Ed. Services. There are many students with disabilities that
could benefit from modifications in the classroom. HOWEVER, I do
resent the mandate of this without adequate time to prepare. I dont
know when Im supposed to come up with 100+ lessons, activities, and
assessments for the same objectives. Its virtually an impossible task
in a public school system.

Do you do differentiated instruction in your class? Why or why

not?
o

Does differentiated instruction look different in an AP class

compared to a cp class? Why or why not?

What does differentiated instruction look like in your

class?

Do you arrange students in groups or in seats

based on students abilities?

Do you assign different things to different

students in your class based on their
demonstrated interest/mastery of material?

I do differentiate. Not to the extent that I would like but as often as I

can. Strategies that I use include:
*seating arrangement

Teacher F
Teaches various levels of history
*Reading assignments based on lexile difficulty. (AP and Honors can
read sources with a much higher lexile than CP.)
*Essay vs. Short Answer vs. Identification- again based on the ability of
the student.
I do not use different assignments based on mastery. I have to move
at the same speed. We track at *schools name has been removed for
anonymity purposes*..AP, Honors, CP so that makes it easier to move
along. A Montessori school would work differently. In those schools,
you progress when a skill is mastered no matter what the rest of the
students are doing. Again, in public school, that cannot happen with
30+ kids in a class.

Do you find differentiated instruction to be a practical approach

in a class of 35 students? 20? 10?
o

If it is proven that this type of instruction is greatly

beneficial to students, but impractical in a class with 30
students in it, does that prove that smaller class sizes
would promote learning?

Do you agree with this statement?

This is covered above.

What are your thoughts on differentiated instruction in general?

In relation to the subject you teach?

Its beneficial but with 30+ in 3 classes.its impossible.

Teachers are expected to differentiate. Are all state tests

students are required to take differentiated? If not, what does
this do to the students who maybe are not as advanced and who
have been taught differently than the average student? What
are your thoughts on this?

Teachers are absolutely expected to differentiate. In fact, it is

imbedded in multiple indicators on our teacher evaluation rubric.

State tests only differentiate as far as timing. If you have Special

Education or ELL accommodations, then you are given extended time

Teacher F
Teaches various levels of history
to take your standardized exam. It is ridiculous that we hold our
teachers to a higher standard on a daily basis but a testing company
cannot accommodate for one day.