Differentiated Instruction for Secondary School Learners

Differentiated learning is critical to each classroom. Students can have one or multiple learning styles that are very effective to their comprehension of class outcomes and material. As education has improved so has the understanding of how students learn. They definitely do not all learn the same way, which is not to say that they cannot be taught different ways of critical thinking and strengthening the use of other learning styles. It is still important to incorporate differentiated instruction in the classroom, especially for secondary school learners.

Secondary school learners can skip out if they want to. It is in developing a relationship with students and providing them with ample ways to learn that they are encouraged to learn. Developing different ways to do assignments can be a big step to connecting with students interests outside the classroom (such as computers, photography, writing, etc.) Understanding different methods of teaching is critical to ensuring that students remain interested in the class and enthusiastic in their learning. Not to say that everything is on the teacher to make the student learn, rather it is improving the conditions of learning that motivates the students to want to learn and to feel that they have the support to do so.

Being able to support students with cognitive disabilities, immigrant students or reactive kids are all examples of ways in which learning must be differentiated for students. It can also be as simple as a student who learns better visually than kinaesthetically. Time and effort must be put in to differentiated learning in secondary classrooms. This can often come to personal sacrifices for teachers, but in the end it relates to the improvement of their students learning and the meeting of their different needs. It is focusing on the unique needs of individual students rather than them as whole, but this does not mean separating students and isolating them from each other. Rather it relates to the time, effort and recognition that each student is on their own unique journey of learning.