After reading chapter 7 from the Tomlinson book and teaching in my classroom, I have realized that the famous "Yes, but.." statements are so very true. Especially in the fifth grade classroom,  the teachers are very focused on teaching for the FCAT testing. Therefore, it is easy to make excuses about differentiation and how there is not nearly enough time. The two statements that stuck out the most during my reading were, "I can't differentiate instruction because the standardized test is not differentiated" and "I can't differentiate instruction because I'm already too busy and have absolutely no extra time for planning." These are two statements that seem to be very evident in my classroom. It took Megan and I awhile before we knew which kids were on the 504 plan and needed accommodations. Every single day, all the students do the same exact assignment with the same exact amount of time given in the same exact teaching style. Instead, the students need to have the opportunity to learn in preferred modes because it will allow them to learn the content better and have greater confidence when testing. Also, our teacher does not need to take the time to do extra planning for the students that need differentiation instruction. Instead, it is important to plan lessons in a differentiated fashion from the outset. It is hard for Megan and I to know how to plan for differentiation because we have not had the true experience of doing so other than our own lessons. We have not had the opportunity yet to plan a weeks long set of lessons, so we are unsure of what our teacher does for their "accommodations." We are responsible for pulling one of our students out of class for at least 30 minutes to work on math and teaching him the concepts in a one-on-one manner. This is not always possible because times does not allow for Megan or I to leave the class for that amount of time. So, I hope we can come up with another system to long these hours.

For my inquiry into teaching practice, I am focusing on classroom management and how it effects the behavior of students. After reading chapter five from the Tomlinson book, I was given some new insight and material that will help during my research process. The whole chapter discusses classroom rountines and procedures. Essentially, classroom procedures and routines support different prescribed ways of doing things that allow teaching and learning to proceed in a structured, predictable, and efficient manner. Like I have stated in almost all of my posts, my classroom is extremely traditional. Therefore, the routine is so repetitive that the students know what is expected of them on a daily basis in reference to the different subject areas. They know when they walk in the door, they have bellwork. They know which subject comes before the next. They know what assignment to get out.  It is almost like they are robots. But, my teacher has structured her class where the students understand the routine and procedures of each day. What is lacking is the management plan that will help the procedures to run smoothly. The students behavior can get completely out of hand. Therefore, they do not respond well to multiple directions, group work, or any responsibility. Because of this, they have very little experience and practice in these areas. So, when Megan and I try to differentiate the directions, create opportunities for cooperative learning groups, or distribute responsibilities, it is nearly impossible for the students to behave because they have not learned how to. So, Megan and I are teaming up on our inquiry project. I am focusing more on the aspect of an overall classroom management plan for the disruptive students and she is focusing on applying that classroom management plan and understanding ways that our students can work in cooperative learning groups.

After being in our class for several weeks, I have not seen much of differentiation among the students. All of the students do the same assignments with very little variation. There are only two students who get pulled out for 30 minutes a day to work with paraprofessional. These are their "mentors" and provide a little extra attention for the students in the areas they are struggling. Throughout Proteach, we have learned a lot about differentiation and how to make sure it is present in our classroom. At this point in time, Megan and I can help support some of the students when needed, but it is not possible to give every single student individual assistance. I am wondering how I would be able to differentiate my classroom this late in the game? My teacher only knows of those two students who are on the 504 plan, but feels like some of the other students should be tested. We do have three gifted math students, but they go to another classroom during that time. So, I do not see how they differentiate the content, process, or product for them because they get pulled out. I feel like I have learned so much about differentiation, but I am unsure what my role should be to make sure it is accurately used in the classroom without stepping on my teachers' toes. After reading Chapter 4 (Tomlinson), I know now some tips for creating a learning environment to set the stage for academic success. But, my favorite part was ways to get to know my students. I feel like this is incredibly imprtant in understanding how I can develop an effective classroom environment that caters to the needs of all students. There are several benefits to reaching out to your students, but my favorite was "it provides an open and continually expanding window into each student as an individual and a learner. " It helps the teacher understand a student's culture, likes and dislikes, personal sense of possibility as a learner, relationships with peers, home support, dreams, strengths and vulnerabilities, and preferred ways of learning. Now, I am wondering, how do I find time to get to know every individual student?

After reading the Leading and Managing Differentiated Classroom text, I felt incredibly overwhelmed.  I want to be able to have a balanced emphasis on individual students and the course content. I understand that students differ as learners in terms of background experience, culture, language, gender, interests, readiness to learn, modes of learning, speed of learning, support systems for learning and self-awareness as a learner. So how do I differentiate lessons for every single student to benefit their needs? It seems nearly impossible. For our social studies class, we had to do a project on the learning community in our classroom. It forced Megan and I to find out about each of our students profiles. We asked several questions in a survey format to learn a little bit more about each student. We hope to use these to help differentiate our future lessons. But, so far in the classroom, I have not seen our mentor teacher work independently with each student. So, I feel like she does not know her students very well to be able to differentiate lessons based on their affect or interest and possibly readiness. How do I find the time to get to know my students to a level where I feel like I am catering to all of their needs? I am determined to create a learning environment that embraces my students. The appearance, organization, and structure of my classroom should create a fun and energetic classroom. More importantly, my main focus will be on the emotional climate in my classroom and the engagement I have with my students. I feel as though students are more encouraged to learn when they feel safe, respected, involved, challenged and supported.  So, in order to have effective differentiation to the learning needs of my students, I must create a learning environment that responds positively to the diverse personalities, learning styles, and overall quirkiness of every individual in my classroom. So, what I am still wondering: to successfully differentiate my classroom to create, monitor, and sculpt in order to support the best possible learning outcome for each student, what can I do?