Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching

Each year, teachers welcome a new group of students to their classroom. And each year, the same thoughts pass through teachers minds: What will this class be like? Am I a good enough teacher to reach every student, or will I fail some of them? Good teaching begins with good relationships and a passion for students and content that students can see, says differentiation pioneer Carol Ann Tomlinson. To truly engage learners, teachers must realize that how they teach is as important as what they teach. In this book, Tomlinson revisits her responsive teaching principles to examine how successful teachers handle the three interdependent elements of the differentiated classroom: The needs of students, The response of teachers, and The role of curriculum and instruction to address learner needs. Using real-life stories, Tomlinson illustrates how teachers manage the interaction of these elements to create meaningful ties to each child. She explores both theory and practice, suggesting helpful strategies and routines and providing a collection of surveys, handouts, and guides that will help teachers organize their efforts and achieve their goals. The promise of the differentiated classroom is the promise that every student will feel affirmed, engaged, and supported by the teacher. Although each student enters the classroom with different needs and experiences, Tomlinson shows that the proper response to such diversity helps students discover the power of knowledge to reveal, amplify, and develop the best that is in them.