My Personal Experience with the Hallmarks of Differentiation

This week I have been studying about the hallmarks of a differentiated classroom.  As I have studied these hallmarks, I have pondered the question of how to meet each individual student's needs in a classroom full of children.  This question caused me to think about my own experiences with differentiation in school.

In my own educational experience my individual needs were the focus of my education. I was homeschooled, so I did not have to compete with 30 other students of my same grade level in the classroom to get the attention and instruction I needed.  However, I do have 9 siblings of all different ages and grade levels all requiring their own education needs to be met. The 4th hallmark, "Individual growth is emphasized as central to classroom success," was always a major part of my education. My mother focused on helping each one of her children to grow individually.  In our homeschool we shared the responsibility for the classroom. Each one of us had responsibilities to help each other and ourselves. We had the opportunity of tracking our own growth and were allowed to study topics that interested us.

Flexible grouping and engaging work for all students were also other important elements of my homeschool experience.  We had whole group instruction, small group instruction, and individualized instruction. I worked with my older brothers and younger brothers and sisters in the learning process.  We were all at different grade levels so our school work was individualized to where we were, but we still worked together. I had the opportunity to teach my younger siblings and to be taught by my siblings.

All of the 8 differentiation hallmarks will be important for my future teaching in my home and in the public school.  I think it will be a challenge to differentiate instruction in a classroom with 30 children, but treating each child as a unique individual is important for the success of all my students.  I hope to follow the example of my mother in helping each one of my students to succeed and reach their potential.