This week the lovely Jo Birchill came in to speak with us about differentiation. She challenged our thinking that it isn’t about less, it’s about different. She has significant training in special education and has taken the time to share her knowledge with us today.
Taking the DIS Out of Disability
Jo began by challenging us to take the DIS out of disability and focus on the ability of every student within our classrooms. To do this, we must be cautious of the language we use and ensure it is positive and inclusive; within our classrooms to guarantee every student can learn to the best of their ability, we must ensure we are teaching with equity NOT equality. Teaching with equity is giving each student the resources they need to succeed rather than the same resources given to everyone.
Response to Intervention
Jo then discussed a pedagogical approach to differentiation called Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI revolved around three tiers:
- Tier 1: Students learning within a regular classroom with basic differentiation.
- Tier 2: Students taken out of the classroom into smaller groups for more specialised support.
- Tier 3: Students working one-on-one with learning support with intense levels of differentiated learning.
Using this approach to differentiation ensures the needs of every student are met and can even reduce behavioural issues.
Where to Start?
Throughout the presentation Jo modelled how to differentiate within any classroom whether primary, secondary or tertiary. She used learning intentions and success criteria so we can tick off what we had learnt. She also had a range of instructional strategies including collaboration, independent thinking time, and explicit teaching which helped everyone engage. Finally, her use of brain breaks ensured we followed along right until the end. All of these strategies are great examples of differentiation that we can take into our own classrooms.
Ultimately, Jo helped us in understanding what it means to be different, and how we can teach to these differences in the classroom giving every student the best opportunity to succeed.
What are St Philip's Teaching School INSIGHT Sessions?
INSIGHT sessions at the St Philip's Teaching School are bespoke offerings that supplement regular lectures. Often delivered by members of the St Philip's Christian Education staff and our affiliate school community; these sessions address important topics and issues that teachers face today. INSIGHT sessions create a safe space for St Philip's Teaching School trainees to collaborate both online and in person.
