Part A - Context
I
am currently teaching third grade at Shell Hill elementary school. Our school population is currently 627
students in grades Pre-K to fifth grade (Institute of Education Sciences [IES],
2011). Our suburban school has a majority
population of white students at 91% (IES, 2011). However, our percentage of
students currently eligible for free and reduced lunch is 54% (IES, 2011). In my classroom I have nineteen students, eleven
boys and eight girls. I have two
students who are on IEP’s, three students who are currently on 504 plans and
two students who are in the Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) formally known
at Response to Intervention (RTI). Looking
closely at my class make up it is clear I have a broad range of academic
abilities in my room.
At the start of
this school year, I began implementing a strategic differentiated instruction
model into my reading block using the work discussed in The Daily Five Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades
by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (2014).
I have had great success with meeting the needs of all learners during
my language arts block. I was also able
to integrate the differentiation into science and social studies. However, through critical assessment of my
instructional day it became evident that my math block lacks differentiation
and student driven independence. My math
block currently follows a gradual release model. I begin with whole group instruction which
includes some time of student interaction.
Then, I walk students through guided practice on the skill using our
student response systems or lap whiteboards.
Finally, I send students to practice and I walk the room and help where
I am needed. However, it seems like
there is never enough time to see everyone and that there is no time to build
in remediation of prior skills. This is
drastically different from my reading block where my students work through
centers and activities after instruction and I am free to pull groups and meet
with individual students. It is clear that my math block needs an
overhaul.
Upon this
discovery, I began a discussion with the members of my third grade team. My colleagues, after looking at their own room
have noticed a similar pattern in their math instruction. After our analyss, we also brought our discovery to our academic
coach for guidance. During our
discussions, it was revealed that other teachers are looking for a solution to
differentiation in mathematics too.
Through self-evaluation
and collaboration I began to develop a strong passion for this dilemma. I discovered that Marian Small (2012)
published Good Questions Great Ways to
Differentiate Mathematics Instruction, I am hoping this book will provide insight
into my plan on how I can establish differentiation in my room during
math. Furthermore, Gail Boushey and Joan
Moser (2014) has released a second edition of The Daily Five Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades
which now includes research and implementation of differentiation in math that
I feel will also be useful as I work with collogues on potential changes to
mathematics instruction. Also during
preliminary searching I found three additional sources that support the changes
I am trying to accomplish:
Differentiating Mathematics Instruction So EVERYONE Learns by Jennifer
Taylor-Cox Ph.D. (n.d.), Solving
America’s Math Problem by Jacob Vigdor (2013), and COMMON sticking Points: ABOUT DIFFERENTIATION by Tomlinson and
Imbeau (2012).
I feel that I must support all learners in a
student centered environment. Looking
into the idea of differentiation there is a lot of collegiate discussion that
it should occur in mathematics but is often not. I think this is an area where I can make
impactful changes to my current teaching practices and bring new life to my
mathematics block.
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