{"id":1468,"date":"2015-01-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecornerstone.wpengine.com\/the-easiest-simplest-way-ive-found-to-differentiate-instruction\/"},"modified":"2021-11-16T20:18:49","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T00:18:49","slug":"the-easiest-simplest-way-ive-found-to-differentiate-instruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/truthforteachers.com\/the-easiest-simplest-way-ive-found-to-differentiate-instruction\/","title":{"rendered":"The easiest, simplest way I’ve found to differentiate instruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many\u00a0of us educators are keeping a little secret about differentiating instruction. We believe it\u2019s a good idea in theory, we try to do it when we can\u2026but we really don\u2019t have any workable system for differentiating.\u00a0No one really knows how it\u2019s supposed to be done,<\/em>\u00a0and the only ideas we\u2019ve had so far are nearly impossible for one teacher to implement for 30+ kids.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several recent articles\u00a0have\u00a0examined the logistical problems of differentiation\u00a0in depth<\/a>. Differentiation exists in most forms as a buzzword school systems employ to make it sound like one teacher can create optimal, personalized learning conditions happen for every student, even though it\u2019s not actually happening on any sustainable level.\u00a0I particularly like the statement made by\u00a0James Delisle:<\/p>\n

It seems that, when it comes to differentiation, teachers are either not doing it at all, or beating themselves up for not doing it as well as they\u2019re supposed to be doing it. Either way, the verdict is clear: Differentiation is a promise unfulfilled, a boondoggle of massive proportions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2013I believe differentiation is an essential step in assessing individual class performance accurately. It helps you recognize who\u2019s falling behind in the class and helps you create the next steps in addressing the issue on an individual and group level.\u00a0However,\u00a0most\u00a0methods of differentiation are overly complex and incredibly\u00a0time-consuming.<\/em><\/p>\n

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I wanted an easy system for tracking and documenting individual student progress along with the class progress as a whole. \u00a0I didn\u2019t want to give kids grades on concepts I\u2019d just introduced, but I needed to see how well they they understood so far, document their learning, and plan appropriate\u00a0next steps.<\/p>\n

So, I developed the Quick Skill Assessment Form.<\/p>\n

I used it a few times a week to assess the work students did independently, usually for written assignments in math, but also in other subject areas as needed.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll explain the system in detail so you can create it yourself<\/em><\/strong>, or save time\/energy and\u00a0purchase my ready-to-use form<\/a>\u00a0(which is now editable!)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Quick Skill Assessment form is an informal method of assessment that makes it\u00a0easy to:<\/p>\n