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The Key to Learning: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in the Core Classroom

Sarah Avallone, Northbrook Junior High, Northbrook, ILMindi Rench, Greenbriar Elementary School, Northbrook, IL

The Realities of the Classroom● Even in “leveled” classes, students each have individual strengths and

weaknesses.● It is our responsibility as educators to ensure all students learn and grow.● Whole class instruction is usually targeted at the middle group of students, and

small groups often focus on our more tangled learners. ● We have many things to teach and not enough time to do it.● Student growth is now a state-mandated component of our teacher evaluation.

Make Lemonade● As teachers, we have the

opportunity to help each child learn and grow every single day.

● We collect an incredible amount of data every day, which we can use to help us make decisions about what students can do and what they learn to need next.

● We can learn to work smarter and more efficiently instead of just harder.

Data All Around

We can gather information about our students from just about everything we ask them to do:

● Student writing is the perfect window into a child’s brain. We can gauge their control of language and conventions, their organizational abilities, and their understanding of what they read.

● Following a student’s writing over the course of several weeks can help us see how well they are applying the concepts we teach during whole class instruction.

● Sitting alongside a student while s/he writes allows us to ask the student to think aloud about his/her thinking while writing.

Writing

● Written response to reading can show us what students understand about both independent and assigned reading.

● Individual or group conferences allow us to have conversations with students about the texts they read.

● Asking students to track the titles they read and then examining those lists help us to see patterns in students’ choice reading.

● Examining students’ annotations of both fiction and nonfiction texts can help us to see if they monitor comprehension and also see if they are thinking deeply about text.

Reading

Formative AssessmentsThink SMALL!

Decide ahead of time what you are assessing and hoping to gather data on.

There may be many areas students need to work on, so prioritizing is a key!

The possibilities are endless...● Exit slips

○ 3-2-1 Slips○ I learned… I think…. I

wonder○ Content-specific questions

● RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Type)

● Quick writes

● Written conversation● Conferences● Post-it notes● Pre-assessments● Observations● Student Self-Evaluations

Acting on Observations

Look For Patterns

● Look for trends and patterns in the data; as you grade or read, make piles for loose groupings.

● Determine the various groups:○ Who needs a reteaching? ○ Who needs a scaffold?○ Who is ready for some extension?

Keep Instruction Targeted

● Group students by specific need. The closer the needs are, the more efficient the group will be.○ Keep the groups small as well. This increases efficiency of

instruction.● Create specific learning targets for the group; the more specific, the

more effective the teaching will be.● Choose just ONE thing to focus on in each group.

Keep Groups & Conferences Short● Based on need; groupings are flexible and change often● Meet 2-3 times● Can be invitational (teacher selected) or student self-selected● Should not be MORE work, should be DIFFERENT work● May be reteaching, scaffolding, or extension

Keep Students in the Loop!

● The feedback cycle is essential. Targeted feedback moves teaching and learning forward.

● Students should be involved in the process - include self-evaluation practices to help students be more aware of where they are and where they need to go next.

● Student self-reflection is critical.● Student growth goals should be realistic and attainable. Students

should understand where they are at before and after instruction.

A Few Examples

Assess and Celebrate

Assess● Post-group or conference assessments can be simple: a notebook entry, an exit

slip, a conversation. The key is to assess ONLY the application of the concepts taught.

● Keep records to show student growth and help to create new goals.

Celebrate● As students reach goals and grow as learners, celebrate success. Success

breeds success, especially for our tangled learners.● As teachers, we often focus on what ELSE we need to do or what we AREN’T

achieving. We need to take the time to celebrate the great things we do with students every single day.

Questions?

Contact us!Sarah Avallone: savallone@northbrook28.net Follow me on Twitter! @savallone

Mindi Rench: mrench@northbrook28.net Follow me on Twitter! @mindi_r