Transcript Document

Inspiring and
motivating colleagues!
Differentiation
Where did it all go wrong?
What is it?
• the process by which differences
between learners are
accommodated so that all students
in a group have the best possible
chance of learning.
Teaching Today: a practical guide, Geoff Petty
Where did it go wrong?
• One of the problems is that it has been
interpreted to mean you treat students
differently in the classroom, that you have low
expectations of the weakest students and set
them very simple tasks. The idea that every
student should be taught in an individual way
is a disaster; it doesn’t work.
Geoff Petty
The Past
What didn’t work?
Whole School INSET
‘Differentiation’
• Limited time for a HUGE issue
• Many teachers resistant:
• Still not committed to taking responsibility for pupils with
SEND;
• No real clarity about what this word means – approaches
such as the IDP suggest it’s about becoming ‘expert’ in all
key areas of SEND – impossible from their starting points;
• Already feeling overloaded – this means more work;
• One-off session – even if they expressed some interest and
motivation, inevitably, most never get round to doing
something about it.
A realistic model?
• Step 1
• A basic understanding of a range of
strategies to meet the diversity of need likely
in any mainstream classroom.
• Step 2
• Meaningful/manageable information about pupils’
starting points and what this information means for
teaching and learning.
A realistic model?
• Step 3
• Emphasise the need for differentiated learning
objectives
• Step 4
• Ban differentiation by outcome! (Only allowed in a
few appropriate areas)
A realistic model?
• Step 5
• Equip teachers with a range of simple strategies to
enable match/personalisation/access for particular
areas of need. (Check that they understand them)
• Step 6
• Stop teacher reliance on teaching assistants to
‘sort out’ the differentiation for individuals or
groups in the classroom.
A realistic model?
• Step 7
• Stop colluding and rewarding teachers who
continue to avoid taking responsibility for the
effective teaching and learning of pupils with
SENDs.
Priorities for SENCOs/INCOs
• Talk to SLT – engage their support and understanding for the
need for improvement.
• NQTs – ‘catch them early’ – link to revised standards and
completion of induction year.
• Work with the healthy parts of the system – identify colleagues
who are interested and motivated and provide support – run
pilot projects.
• Disseminate the outcomes of pilot projects across the whole
school.
• Think about the most effective forms of INSET – INSET with
follow up activities/modelling/partnership teaching
• Work with teachers and teaching assistants.
Where are you now?
Where do you want to be in ? months?
• Think about the issues discussed today.
• Where are you now in your school in terms of
effective teaching and learning for ALL
pupils? Be honest!
• What are your top 3 priority developments to
improve practice and outcomes?
• Set some target dates to achieve each of
these priority developments.