Managing a Differentiated Classroom

How does this teacher lead students and effectively manage her classroom? In what ways
was her instruction differentiated? Be specific.
The teacher effectively leads the learners by ensuring that the classroom belongs to every
student in terms of both responsibility and opportunity. This is evident when the teacher asks
different students questions, and each time, she gives a different learner the opportunity to
respond to the question asked. Also, the teacher has guided students in setting up an experiment
the previous day, during the lesson, she lets each one of them make an observation, and all the
students feel responsible for responding and giving their conclusion on what had happened to
their experiments. Also, the teacher is clearly aware that each student is important and that her
teaching is fundamentally about building their lives. She is constantly cognizant of the value of
every students and she seeks to dignify each one of them as she teaches in front of the whole
group of students. This can be seen on how she appreciates the efforts of students who respond to
questions asked. First, she calls each one of them by name and then congratulates them with
words such as “wow!” and “excellent” (Menxueiro, 2013). According to Sousa & Tomlinson
(2011), a teacher begins to lead by forming positive links with students and one of the ways
through which links are formed is by knowing students by name and pronouncing their names
correctly. The teacher does exactly that and it is evident that she has managed to create positive
links with her students.
The teacher’s instruction is differentiated. She incorporates different instructional
strategies in delivering her content. First, she uses direct instruction in introducing the lesson and

reminding the students what they had covered in the previous lesson. The teacher also
incorporates collaborative learning. The students are seated in groups, and they had set up an
experiment in groups. From the video, it is evident that each group set-up one set of experiment.
the students can be seen discussing the results of their experiments in groups, shortly before the
teacher intervenes and guides them into discussing the results together. Thirdly, the project-based
technique is applied as the teacher had in the previous lesson guided students into setting up a
science-based experiment, whose results they can be seen discussing in the video.
Decide which of the four classroom environments, this teacher exhibits based on teacher
management beliefs and styles (dysfunctional, adequate, orderly-restrictive, or orderly-
flexible). Provide a rationale for your opinion with evidence from the text.
The teacher exhibits an orderly-flexible learning environment. The class runs smoothly
and is characterized by looser, though not extremely loose structures. Also, the teachers in such
environments make use of many different instructional techniques, and this is evident during the
lesson in the video. She uses direct instruction, collaborative instruction strategy, and project-
based instruction strategy. These strategies enable her to create a flexible and orderly learning
environment because she is able to meet the learning needs of many students whose learning
styles differ. Also, the class runs smoothly. The teacher guides the students who appear fully
engaged during the lesson. They respond to questions asked and the general academic work is
carried out in a relaxed environment. No power struggles are evident; interruptions are minimal
as well.
How does this teacher adhere to and implement the seven basic principles of leading
students? Give examples to support your opinion.

The teacher satisfactorily adheres to the seven basic principles of leading students. First,
the classroom environment capitalizes on the potential of the learners and is reflective of a
teacher that has high regard for the students. She challenges them by asking them questions. She
provides support where necessary. For instance, when she asks the students to discuss the
answers within their groups, she can be seen moving to a few groups and listening to what
students think. She establishes great connections with her students and this can be seen
throughout the lesson. She knows them by name. also, through incorporating collaborative
learning, the teacher manages to create a clear sense of teamwork in the classroom effectively.
Also, each learner in the classroom has access to a high-quality curriculum. Each student
has a reference material that they regularly consult upon receiving instructions from the teacher.
Also, the teacher has integrated technology into the classroom, and the smart board allows her to
show different activities and content materials to her students. the teacher is seen ensuring that
students understand and regularly engage with the curriculum. Also, the incorporation of
different instructional techniques is evidence that the teacher has studied the individual
differences in her learners and is responding to them in the best way so as to maximize growth.
According to Sousa & Tomlinson (2011), “Understanding students’ evolving learning needs is as
central to a teacher’s success as understanding the content to be taught”. Overall, the teacher
takes leadership and guides the learners in getting a scope, implementing, refining and assessing
the classroom’s shared vision.

References

Menxueiro, S. (2013). Content Differentiation In 3rd Grade Science. Retrieved 5 February 2020,
from https://vimeo.com/30550417
Sousa, D. A. & Tomlinson, C. A. (2011). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience
supports the learner-friendly classroom. Retrieved from https://www.vitalsource.com/