Students come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and have widely different ways of viewing the world. These learning differences provide a rich learning experience for all students in the classroom. As an educator it is my responsibility to create a learning community where everyone feels included and can achieve the highest standards of learning. Some of the ways I create this type of diverse community is through one-on-one student conferences, adapting lessons for English language learners, and differentiated learning.

Conferencing with Individual Students

During students’ independent reading block I like to conduct one-on-one conferences to evaluate reading skills. The conferences allow me to see what book the student is choosing to read, and if I need to make an adjustment based on the book level. I also check comprehension and reading strategies by asking students to describe what is happening in the text and explain what reading strategy they are using. I really enjoy these individual conferences because it helps me build stronger relationships with students, while finding out if they are applying what they are learning.

Supporting English Language Learners

English language learners need additional support in order to achieve the same high standard of learning. This can be accomplished through using visuals and implementing group work. Visuals help improve student comprehension skills. Group work gives students more opportunities to practice English in a lower risk setting.

Differentiated Learning

Differentiation benefits all types of students ranging from those with learning disabilities to gifted students. One of the ways I differentiate learning is by continually assessing and adjusting lesson content to meet students’ needs. Another way I differentiate is by letting students choose to work in pairs, small groups, or individually. For example, when I assigned students to read and answer written comprehension questions on an article about the American Continental Army, I gave them the choice between working in groups, pairs, or individually.