Take a moment and think about the
students who are currently in your classes. When you teach a lesson on any
given day there are typically three main paths the students will go down. The
first path includes the students who understand the concept immediately and are
ready for an extension or are ready to move on to new material. The second path
includes the students who understand the content but really would benefit from
additional examples and guided practice. The third path includes the students
who do not grasp the material as quickly and would benefit greatly from a
variety of instructional methods as well as having additional time to ensure
understanding. As the teacher, which pathway do you choose to teach for to
ensure maximum growth and understanding for all students?
During the first three years of
my teaching career, I came to this crossroad each day. It was a very tough
decision to know which path was the correct one, but I thought that if I taught
to the average student the majority of the class would complete the intended
standards at a proficient level. The students who needed an alternative method
of instruction, additional practice or just more time to practice could come in before or
after school for extra help. Looking back, I can regretfully acknowledge that I
did not maximize the learning of all students. I maximized the learning for the
middle of the road. Unfortunately, this meant the advanced students were most
likely bored and chose to be compliant with the rest of the instruction and
practice I provided them with, while the students who were slower learners were
penalized by spending additional time outside of class to receive the
interventions necessary to be successful.
What if we could transform
education so every student was given appropriate opportunities and pathways to
maximize learning? What if each student was able to learn at their own pace and
the learning was not dependent on the pace of classmates? If a student was
given the ability to take ownership of their own learning would they set higher
standards for themselves than teacher do? What if the ceiling was taken off
education so students could transition to the next course of study when they
are ready instead of utilizing the beginning and end of the school year to
determine course changes?
There is a world of opportunity
for transformation in our current educational system. It is important to begin
to ask innovative questions to influence positive change within your classroom,
district and community. What are you going to do to improve the quality of
education for your student’s? What are you going to do to personalize education
for each student so they can reach their maximum potential? What are you going
to do to allow each student to take the path that is the most appropriate and
the most beneficial for them?
