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Begin with Highest Level Learner in Mind

By Lisa Van Gemert 50 Comments

    There’s a YouTube cooking channel called Chowhound that has a series called “You’re Doing it All Wrong.” They take fundamentals of cooking (mashed potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc.) and show how you’re making them the wrong way. Of course, they show you the right way and then you, too, can make creamy mashed potatoes!

    Whenever I discuss differentiation with educators, the most common reason for resistance I get is time. Overwhelmed educators don’t have time to plan one more thing. I understand.

    I don’t disagree that time demands on teachers seem to rising at never-before-seen levels. I would disagree that differentiation takes more time than refusing to differentiate. Friends, you’re doing it all wrong.

    There isn’t really a technical term for non-differentiated classrooms. Let’s call it “single-strand.”

    When planned and implemented using best practices, differentiation is not a time burden. In fact, I would argue it is a time saver.

    Hear me out.

    Differentiation Saves Time

    When classrooms are differentiated effectively, there are fewer classroom management problems than in single-strand classrooms.

    It’s not a magic wand that will make kids behave appropriately (we can dream), but it does make it less likely that teachers will have students who waste the teacher’s time complaining that they are bored or who don’t complain but also don’t work because the work isn’t respectful.

    When they do whine (which is another service gifted kids offer; see my article on that), fewer people listen because they know the whining is groundless.

    Teachers will spend more time actually teaching when the classroom’s practices are aligned with learners’ needs.

    When classrooms are differentiated effectively, parents are less likely to request conferences and send lots of emails about their underserved child that may be necessary, but also take time.

    Refusal to differentiate also has a cost, and that cost is paid in time and frustration and suffering students.

    Teachers will pay a time price one way or another.

    As an educator, I’d rather spend time planning than fighting. But that’s just me.

    I understand that teachers who sailed through school on the wave of regular work and did just fine may have a hard time understanding why it is that gifted kids need something different. I mean, shouldn’t the kid just take the “A” and be glad it was easy? Nope.

    It’s soul crushing to show up to school everyday to do work that is not aligned with your ability, and that’s true whether the work is too challenging or not challenging enough.

    You’re Already Doing It

    Teachers are required to differentiate for students with learning difficulties or physical or mental health issues. No one can say we don’t have time to do that. Well, you can, but bad things will happen to you.

    The learners themselves are already differentiated. They don’t wait for permission to have different learning needs. And they’re not doing it to punish the teacher. It’s just how it is.

    No response is a response.

    Refusal to differentiate for gifted learners is a response, and it’s important that we’re honest with ourselves about that.

    There’s no option to refuse to meet the needs of gifted learners and have that be a good thing for them. We make a conscious decision to slight them when we meet the needs of all but them.

    The Trick is in the Planning

    The trick to differentiating without feeling like you need to act like Hermione in The Prisoner of Azkaban where she was going to all of those classes simultaneously is to plan correctly. There’s an order, folks, and it goes like this:

    Plan for your highest learners first.

    I understand that flies in the face of the way the textbooks do it, with plans for the on-level learners spelled out in agonizing detail and little boxes off to the side with ideas for adjusting for learners who need scaffolding or enrichment.

    I understand that’s not how colleges teach you to do it, with making a lesson plan for everyone and then adding a line or two about what you’re going to do for the students who need something different at the bottom, if you think of it.

    That’s doing it all wrong.

    Here’s how you do it:

    1.Plan your lesson with your highest learners in mind. Consider what they can do and think. Just worry about them for now. Create the whole lesson plan with them in mind.

    2. Look at that lesson carefully and consider what adjustments need to be made to allow your on-level students to complete it successfully. Ask yourself:

    • What of this can my on-level learners do without adjustment?
    • What do I need to add or take away?
    • If they would struggle with x, what could they do instead?
    • Do they need more support (different materials? manipulatives? more detailed directions? an example? a tutorial video? more/fewer constraints?)

    Make any adjustments necessary.

    Keep in mind that students can flow in and out of whole group, single-strand instruction and differentiated work. It’s not all-or-nothing.

    If one section isn’t a good fit, just think of what you’d have to do to adjust that section.

    3. Repeat this step for your learners who need scaffolding or who have IEPs or 504 accommodations. What do you need to add or take away or support or adjust for them to be able to engage with the learning experience appropriate to their ability?

    That’s it. That’s the secret. Why does this work so well?

    • Because it’s much easier to think of how to adjust for less challenge than to take a simple task and try to make it more challenging.
    • This clone-and-adjust method becomes so intuitive and smooth over time that you can make the adjustments in just a few minutes per lesson plan.
    • Gifted learners aren’t at the mercy of having a teacher finish a lesson plan and then decide if they have time to think of them or not.
    • It helps struggling learners as well, because as teachers increase their ability to clone-and-adjust, they become more adept at considering what adjustments are needed and effective. Like anything else, the more you practice well, the better you get at it.

    The Most Important Rule of All

    Too many teachers think differentiation means that students have to all be doing something different. The most important rule of all to remember with differentiation is this:

    It’s not about what they’re doing: it’s about what they’re thinking.

    It’s about thinking level, not a different project or task. When you focus on the thinking level when considering your gifted students, rather than worrying about making them do some other big, huge, amazing assignment, it becomes magically delicious to plan for them.

    An Example of the Differentiation Process

    Would you like to see a differentiated lesson plan that even has a screencast of me actually creating it so you can see the process? You can watch it here.

    A Caveat

    This process requires that teachers actually be able to create a lesson plan. In the past year and a half, I’ve become aware that many teachers are quite weak in these skills due to a number of factors (such as pre-packaged curriculum they are required to use).

    When I’ve asked teachers for lesson plans, many times I’ve received lists of tasks. That’s not a plan.

    Creating differentiated lesson plans will be harder if the teacher isn’t used to creating lesson plans at all.

    What if You Have to Use Pre-Packaged Curriculum?

    Move. No, really, it’s still possible. In this case, you can’t start with the most able learner in mind because that is never who pre-packaged curriculum is for.

    What you do is to look at the on-level lesson and look at the modified lesson and imagine what is missing. If they had planned for the most able learner, what would they have done? Remember: thinking level, not doing level.

    Another (actually better) option is to look at the canned curriculum and determine what it’s actually wanting taught. What are the objectives? Take those objectives and create your own lesson, using the canned curriculum as suggestion, not prescription. In my experience, positive results in classrooms create fewer questions about what you’re doing. Teachers have to decide if this is possible in their situation.

    Because federal law requires that we support students with learning difficulties, even pre-packaged curriculum has differentiation for them.

    You may also like:

    • How to Keep Gifted Students Motivated
    • Why Students Don’t Like School
    • Explaining Differentiation to Parents
    • A Differentiated Lesson Plan Step-by-Step (the one mentioned earlier where you get to see one I did)

    Would you like an email from me once a month-ish with ideas and info? Sign up and grab a free copy of 15 Ways to Help Gifted Kids Thrive in School.

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    Filed Under: DIFFERENTIATION, TEACHING

    ← How to Write a Book Review: A Guide for Kids A Differentiated Lesson Plan: Step-by-Step →

    Comments

    1. Jenny Paynic says

      July 17, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      I would love new ideas!!! Thanks for the great information.

      Reply
      • Mecaela Renee Houston says

        August 4, 2020 at 4:22 pm

        Loved the new ideas

        Reply
    2. Karrie says

      July 17, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      I just finished watching the video on creating salt cellars to learn about landforms. Do you happen to have pictures of a finished product for this lesson?

      Reply
      • Lisa Van Gemert says

        July 17, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        Hi!
        I will dig through my files and see if I can find one! Sometimes I can’t believe what I keep and what I don’t. Those are an odd shape, so I may not have kept one, but I’ll check.

        Reply
    3. Francisco Canchola says

      July 17, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      Love the video

      Reply
    4. Chi Vu says

      July 19, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Thank you for great information about writing the project. It makes me confident now. I can adjust (adding and taking away some information as needed) my plan.

      Reply
    5. Elahe says

      July 19, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      Thank you for great information and tips.

      Reply
    6. scarlet Acevedo says

      July 20, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      I totally agree with the fact that when classroom are differentiated effectively teachers will spend more time actually teaching because the classroom practices are aligned with the learners needs

      Reply
    7. Ikechi Nicholas Igbokwe says

      July 21, 2020 at 2:47 am

      I thank you for this. Words cannot describe. I loved the fact that the lesson that I saw began with the gifted students in mind then worked down. I also loved that you stated that our lesson is a form of respect or disrespect which can produces a positive/negative response from our students.

      Reply
      • Lisa Van Gemert says

        July 21, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        Thank you. I’m so glad it was useful to you.

        Reply
    8. Maria Del Carmen Rodriguez says

      July 21, 2020 at 7:41 pm

      Thank you for sharing this information. I will apply it this coming school year.

      Reply
    9. Carolina says

      July 22, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      I love the ideas!

      Reply
    10. Brian says

      July 22, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      I like the idea of starting with the higher level students in mind and working within that framework to address
      those students who need more assistance. I do find that differentiated instruction does save me time in the long run.

      Reply
    11. Pris Miller says

      July 22, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      I have found all of your resources to be highly accurate to meet the levels of our children with the needed support to build their knowledge by provided the scaffolding by content and in the process.

      Reply
    12. Alyssa Glynn says

      July 22, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      These are some really awesome ideas!

      Reply
    13. Martina says

      July 22, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      Thanks a million for easing my mind, that I should plan with the highest learner in mind. Our system is set up with thinking on how do I accomodate my SPED/ 504/ESL etc kiddos. I will definetly change my way of thinking when planning my lessons. Thanks a ton!

      Reply
    14. Karina Ochoa says

      July 23, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      This is a really good article with tons of ideas and information.

      Reply
    15. Sharon Hicks says

      July 23, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      I agree with Lisa. There are some awesome ideas!

      Reply
      • Julie Consiglio says

        July 27, 2020 at 10:16 am

        I agree with Lisa . A lot of helpful ideas.

        Reply
    16. Sharon Hicks says

      July 23, 2020 at 7:07 pm

      Thanks for the great ideas and advice.

      Reply
    17. Crystal says

      July 23, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      Awesome video, love love love.

      Reply
      • Julie Consiglio says

        July 27, 2020 at 10:36 am

        I agree with 100%.

        Reply
    18. Julie Consiglio says

      July 27, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Thank you for the article. Very helpful, I will use your tips when planning this school year.

      Reply
    19. Julie Consiglio says

      July 27, 2020 at 9:58 am

      I agree with Karina lots of helpful information to process.

      Reply
    20. Julie Consiglio says

      July 27, 2020 at 10:14 am

      Thanks for sharing love it. Great ideas and tips!

      Reply
    21. Julie Consiglio says

      July 27, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Thank you for the awesome videos. Love it!

      Reply
    22. K. Itzen says

      July 28, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      Great Ideas!!!!

      Reply
    23. Paula Jenkins says

      July 28, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. To approach lesson planning with this concept is going to be transformative; planning for the highest learner and focusing on their “thinking”.

      Reply
    24. Alma Diaz says

      July 28, 2020 at 10:21 pm

      Great advice, we usually make the mistake of targeting the low level students first before we have the highest in mind.

      Reply
    25. C Reyes says

      July 29, 2020 at 11:03 am

      Good article and provided tons of information!

      Reply
    26. Kasi Hebert says

      July 29, 2020 at 4:42 pm

      Thank you for the information!!

      Reply
    27. Leah H says

      July 30, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      Great info! Looking forward to these simple tools in the coming year.

      Reply
    28. Julie says

      July 30, 2020 at 4:31 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply
    29. Christina H. says

      August 1, 2020 at 3:10 am

      I never really thought of plan with the highest learner in mind. In college it was teach what the on level kid should know and adjust for the lower kids and enhance for the higher ones.

      Reply
    30. jean sharp says

      August 3, 2020 at 11:51 am

      Planning lessons for the highest achieving students does seem like it would be easier. Then you can adjust the lessons to meet the needs of all students. Great ideas!

      Reply
      • Lisa Van Gemert says

        August 4, 2020 at 10:09 am

        Yep, that’s the idea! It’s a real time-saver when you do it this way.

        Reply
    31. Kim Bridges says

      August 3, 2020 at 11:51 am

      I like how you suggested when planning a lesson, to plan with the goal in mind and plan with the highest achievers first.

      Reply
    32. Darius Emanuel Wilson says

      August 3, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      This was so amazing. You all did an amazing job with your post, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every one of them.

      Reply
      • Ms. Thompson says

        August 17, 2020 at 12:16 am

        Great article

        Reply
    33. David Amadio says

      August 5, 2020 at 2:53 am

      I really enjoyed this. I plan on implementing some things that I have been hesitant about. Thank you.

      Reply
    34. Crystal Cuellar says

      August 7, 2020 at 9:58 pm

      Lots of helpful tips for differentiation.

      Reply
    35. Crystal Cuellar says

      August 7, 2020 at 10:21 pm

      thank you for the info very insightful

      Reply
    36. Michele says

      August 10, 2020 at 9:56 am

      Thanks for the great ideas

      Reply
    37. Alan Van Patter says

      August 10, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      Thank you for providing this information

      Reply
    38. Ryan says

      August 14, 2020 at 11:43 am

      I like these ideas. I want to expand my mental library for differentiation.

      Reply
    39. Victoria Burdett says

      August 14, 2020 at 12:16 pm

      Great ideas!!!

      Reply
    40. Ms. Thompson says

      August 17, 2020 at 12:07 am

      Thanks for sharing your expertise

      Reply
    41. Sandra Urbina says

      November 9, 2020 at 11:52 pm

      Thank you for sharing the wonderful tips and ideas for lesson plans.

      Reply
    42. Lexie Thurlow says

      November 16, 2020 at 11:07 pm

      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    43. jessi says

      November 17, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      This was a great read!

      Reply

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