the simple, hard truth

this was by far my favorite chapter to read this semester. this book is so unlike any other book we have to get for the semester. it honestly speaks to the heart as you say nancy. it doesn't just list out definitions and eplain different theories that we need to know. it teaches us through eample. it gives so many different stories of showing differentiation, that it makes it possible to invision it. in a way this book has opened my eyes. but at the same time it hasn't. i have always viewed children as having various needs and wants. and i feel that as a teacher it is my job to find the best possible way to connect with each child, to make learning easiest and most enjoyable for them. this chapter talked about the difficulties of creating and maintaining a differentiated classroom. and it's true. there are so many students in the classroom to connect with that it could be overwhelming. and there are so many people outside of the classroom, in our normal every day life, that crave our attention as well. it's so easy not to differentiate. i liked on pg.91 where it said, "the more willing we are to take the risks, the better the lives of our students are likely to become, and the greater the fulfillment we are likely to feel at the end of the day." i truely believe that this statement is true. if we put our all into differentiation, everybody will be benefitted in the end. not just the students, but us as teachers as well. thanks for choosing this book for us nancy, it's very valuable.

Curriculum is important, focused & engaging....

in chapter 5 it gives two different scenarios about a student and his math and german teacher. it mentioned hos both the teachers were "solid with curriculum" and they both instructed that "there will be no messing around in here." the big difference in the classrooms he said was that his math teacher taught algebra. his german teacher taught him german. this child was asking for his teachers to invest in him. one responded by saying the information is here, i'll deliver it, you get it. the other teacher actually took the time to get to know the child. that teacher did whatever it took, and fully invested in that child to make sure that they were a better human being coming out of that classroom.
we can not expect our students in return to be fully invested in the instruction we are giving unless it is engaging. the reading this week mentioned a few things to consider when in the classroom:
1. the work is important
2. the work is focused
3. the work is engaging
4. the work is demanding
5. the work is scaffolded.
when we as teachers make the curriculum engaging students start to find meaning in the work, find it intriguing, see themselves and their world in their work, see value in others, provokes their curiosity and are finally absorbed in the work.
These two chapters to me, seemed to focus a lot on making the material we teach to the students relevant to them, and it gave many approaches on how to do this. i'm not going to go into the different approaches because i feel like that would make this blog more structed. and i would rather have it consist of my feelings about the reading.

Letter to Jaramy

Dear Jaramy,
As Jaime's blog was read to us last week, your story of Teach America was very heart wrenching. As a class we brainstormed and brainstormed of ways to help you out. But with every idea that we came up with, Jaime commented that you had tried that already. So after reading through my week's homework in my differentiation class, I have compiled a list of important ideas to always remember in your classroom:

• Build trust, help them to feel validated and believe that they themselves are important, unique, and that they have a place in the classroom and in the world.
• Make ties with the student. Come up with any way possible to make connections with the students.
• Model high investment in both the people and content of the classroom. Make it known that your students are always welcome in your classroom-whether it be before class, during lunch, or after school.
• Share your thoughts about the classroom with the students. Let them know that you're thinking about them on your own time, not just when you're at school.
• Be an advocate for the student. Do what it takes to make sure the individual is heard and represented fairly.
• There are no excuses here, but there is support.
• Let it be known that you don't question the educability of any student- race, class and prior experience not withstanding.

And of all my favorite quotes that were mentioned in my reading, I feel the most important thing to let them know is that DIFFERENT IS NOT A SYNONYM FOR DEFICIENT.