Differentiating the High School Classroom
Solution Strategies for 18 Common Obstacles
Kathie F. Nunley
- Educational consultant and teacher trainer
Purchase
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781412917155
Available from
January 0001
Description
"Places all of a teacher's concerns on the table, and whittles them away with classroom strategies."
-Toby Karten, Educational Consultant
"The ideas in this book will be useful for years to come."
-William Fitzhugh, Teacher, Reisterstown Elementary School, MD
"In the good old days, we didn't have to differentiate."
If this is how you feel about differentiated instruction (DI), you are not alone. Although research shows that DI maximizes learning and neural development, teachers still struggle with its challenges, especially in the high school classroom. Applying her unique expertise as a researcher, teacher, trainer, and parent, Kathie F. Nunley provides practical and supportive solutions to the real obstacles teachers face in mixed ability high school classrooms.
Each chapter lists an obstacle-"I have too much content to cover," or "I can't grade all those different assignments," or "I thought I was differentiating"-and then provides:
- A discussion of the pedagogical and curriculum issues
- Ready-to-use solution strategies
- Examples and scenarios showing the strategies in action
- Practice assignments
Written with common sense, wisdom, and humor, this easy-to-navigate guide is a must-have resource for all high school teachers and instructional leaders committed to the benefits of differentiated instruction for high school learners.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Author
Introduction: I Just Can’t Do That in MY School / Classroom / Situation
- Teachers are Creative People
- Laugh and the World Laughs with You
- So what is differentiated instruction?
- Obstacle #1: I Long to Return Back to The Good Old Days
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #2: I Thought I Was Differentiating
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #3: I Teach the Way I Was Taught
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #4: I Don’t Know How
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- The Easiest Road to Differentiation is Student Choice
- Add A Second Piece: Accountability
- Finish with the Final Piece: Encouraging Higher-Level Thinking
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #5: I Have Too Much Content to Cover
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Realize That you Can’t Lecture Fast Enough
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #6: I’m Good at Lecturing
- A Description of the Issue
- Classrooms May Result in A Power Struggle
- Solution Strategies
- Perception is Everything
- Gain Control by Giving Some of It Up
- Obstacle #7: I Can’t See How I Would Grade All Those Different Assignments
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Setting up a Paper or Electronic Grade Book
- Entering Only Unit Grades and Exams
- Entering Grades by Sub-Units
- Entering Grades by Objectives
- Daily or Weekly Grades
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an A worth?”
- And on What Basis Or Criteria Do We Award Points, Marks and Grades?
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an F worth?”
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #8: I Thought Differentiated Instruction Was for Elementary Schools
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #9: I Subscribe to Ability Grouping
- A Description of the Issue
- Segregation Within the Classroom
- Preparing Global Thinkers
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #10: I Have Real Logistical Issues
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies & Practice Assignments for Overcoming These Obstacles
- Liability Issues
- Scheduling Issues
- The Room is Too Small
- Obstacle #11: I Want My Classroom Under Control
- A Description of the Issue
- Perception of Control Trumps All
- Leadership Style Determines Perception of Control
- An Easy Measure of Leadership
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #12: I Don't Know How to Measure My Students' Learning Style
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Take a cue from your IEP’s
- Provide a Home Base
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#13: I Have Neither the Time Nor the Funding for All That
- A Description of the Time Issue
- I Don’t Have the Time to Plan for All That
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- A Description of the Funding Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #14: I've Been Teaching This Way for Years and It Works
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#15: There’s No Support For It At My School
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #16: My District Requires Me to Follow a Prescribed Text
- A Description of the Issue
- Textbook Options Can Create More Effective Readers
- A Variety of Reading Materials Keeps Information Updated
- A Variety of Texts Makes the Information Available to More Students
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #17: Parents Expect Lecture Format in High School For College Prep
- A Description of the Issue
- Differentiated Reading Strategies Help Prepare Students for College Learning
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #18: The Bottom Line—If They Are Learning, You Are Teaching
- A Description of the Issue
- Some Students Struggle with Linguistic Dependent Input and Output
- Some Students Struggle with Visual Input and Output
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
Suggestions for Further Reading
- Layered Curriculum and Other Specific Strategies for Differentiating Instruction
Neuroscience and Learning
- Inclusion Strategies
- Control Theory and Self Efficacy
- Pedagogical Theory
- History of the United States School System
Classroom and School Leadership
Classroom and School Leadership
References
References
Index
Index
Additional materials
Description
"Places all of a teacher's concerns on the table, and whittles them away with classroom strategies."
-Toby Karten, Educational Consultant
"The ideas in this book will be useful for years to come."
-William Fitzhugh, Teacher, Reisterstown Elementary School, MD
"In the good old days, we didn't have to differentiate."
If this is how you feel about differentiated instruction (DI), you are not alone. Although research shows that DI maximizes learning and neural development, teachers still struggle with its challenges, especially in the high school classroom. Applying her unique expertise as a researcher, teacher, trainer, and parent, Kathie F. Nunley provides practical and supportive solutions to the real obstacles teachers face in mixed ability high school classrooms.
Each chapter lists an obstacle-"I have too much content to cover," or "I can't grade all those different assignments," or "I thought I was differentiating"-and then provides:
- A discussion of the pedagogical and curriculum issues
- Ready-to-use solution strategies
- Examples and scenarios showing the strategies in action
- Practice assignments
Written with common sense, wisdom, and humor, this easy-to-navigate guide is a must-have resource for all high school teachers and instructional leaders committed to the benefits of differentiated instruction for high school learners.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Author
Introduction: I Just Can’t Do That in MY School / Classroom / Situation
- Teachers are Creative People
- Laugh and the World Laughs with You
- So what is differentiated instruction?
- Obstacle #1: I Long to Return Back to The Good Old Days
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #2: I Thought I Was Differentiating
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #3: I Teach the Way I Was Taught
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #4: I Don’t Know How
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- The Easiest Road to Differentiation is Student Choice
- Add A Second Piece: Accountability
- Finish with the Final Piece: Encouraging Higher-Level Thinking
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #5: I Have Too Much Content to Cover
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Realize That you Can’t Lecture Fast Enough
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #6: I’m Good at Lecturing
- A Description of the Issue
- Classrooms May Result in A Power Struggle
- Solution Strategies
- Perception is Everything
- Gain Control by Giving Some of It Up
- Obstacle #7: I Can’t See How I Would Grade All Those Different Assignments
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Setting up a Paper or Electronic Grade Book
- Entering Only Unit Grades and Exams
- Entering Grades by Sub-Units
- Entering Grades by Objectives
- Daily or Weekly Grades
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an A worth?”
- And on What Basis Or Criteria Do We Award Points, Marks and Grades?
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an F worth?”
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #8: I Thought Differentiated Instruction Was for Elementary Schools
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #9: I Subscribe to Ability Grouping
- A Description of the Issue
- Segregation Within the Classroom
- Preparing Global Thinkers
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #10: I Have Real Logistical Issues
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies & Practice Assignments for Overcoming These Obstacles
- Liability Issues
- Scheduling Issues
- The Room is Too Small
- Obstacle #11: I Want My Classroom Under Control
- A Description of the Issue
- Perception of Control Trumps All
- Leadership Style Determines Perception of Control
- An Easy Measure of Leadership
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #12: I Don't Know How to Measure My Students' Learning Style
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Take a cue from your IEP’s
- Provide a Home Base
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#13: I Have Neither the Time Nor the Funding for All That
- A Description of the Time Issue
- I Don’t Have the Time to Plan for All That
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- A Description of the Funding Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #14: I've Been Teaching This Way for Years and It Works
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#15: There’s No Support For It At My School
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #16: My District Requires Me to Follow a Prescribed Text
- A Description of the Issue
- Textbook Options Can Create More Effective Readers
- A Variety of Reading Materials Keeps Information Updated
- A Variety of Texts Makes the Information Available to More Students
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #17: Parents Expect Lecture Format in High School For College Prep
- A Description of the Issue
- Differentiated Reading Strategies Help Prepare Students for College Learning
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #18: The Bottom Line—If They Are Learning, You Are Teaching
- A Description of the Issue
- Some Students Struggle with Linguistic Dependent Input and Output
- Some Students Struggle with Visual Input and Output
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
Suggestions for Further Reading
- Layered Curriculum and Other Specific Strategies for Differentiating Instruction
Neuroscience and Learning
- Inclusion Strategies
- Control Theory and Self Efficacy
- Pedagogical Theory
- History of the United States School System
Classroom and School Leadership
Classroom and School Leadership
References
References
Index
Index
Additional materials
Reviews
Differentiating the High School Classroom
Solution Strategies for 18 Common Obstacles
November 2005 | 168 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 27/02/2023 | 9781412917155 | $80.95 |
| Paperback | 28/04/2023 | 9781412917162 | $39.95 |
"Places all of a teacher's concerns on the table, and whittles them away with classroom strategies."
-Toby Karten, Educational Consultant
"The ideas in this book will be useful for years to come."
-William Fitzhugh, Teacher, Reisterstown Elementary School, MD
"In the good old days, we didn't have to differentiate."
If this is how you feel about differentiated instruction (DI), you are not alone. Although research shows that DI maximizes learning and neural development, teachers still struggle with its challenges, especially in the high school classroom. Applying her unique expertise as a researcher, teacher, trainer, and parent, Kathie F. Nunley provides practical and supportive solutions to the real obstacles teachers face in mixed ability high school classrooms.
Each chapter lists an obstacle-"I have too much content to cover," or "I can't grade all those different assignments," or "I thought I was differentiating"-and then provides:
- A discussion of the pedagogical and curriculum issues
- Ready-to-use solution strategies
- Examples and scenarios showing the strategies in action
- Practice assignments
Written with common sense, wisdom, and humor, this easy-to-navigate guide is a must-have resource for all high school teachers and instructional leaders committed to the benefits of differentiated instruction for high school learners.
Table Of Contents:
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Introduction: I Just Can’t Do That in MY School / Classroom / Situation
- Teachers are Creative People
- Laugh and the World Laughs with You
- So what is differentiated instruction?
- Obstacle #1: I Long to Return Back to The Good Old Days
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #2: I Thought I Was Differentiating
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Obstacle #3: I Teach the Way I Was Taught
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #4: I Don’t Know How
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- The Easiest Road to Differentiation is Student Choice
- Add A Second Piece: Accountability
- Finish with the Final Piece: Encouraging Higher-Level Thinking
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #5: I Have Too Much Content to Cover
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Realize That you Can’t Lecture Fast Enough
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #6: I’m Good at Lecturing
- A Description of the Issue
- Classrooms May Result in A Power Struggle
- Solution Strategies
- Perception is Everything
- Gain Control by Giving Some of It Up
- Obstacle #7: I Can’t See How I Would Grade All Those Different Assignments
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Setting up a Paper or Electronic Grade Book
- Entering Only Unit Grades and Exams
- Entering Grades by Sub-Units
- Entering Grades by Objectives
- Daily or Weekly Grades
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an A worth?”
- And on What Basis Or Criteria Do We Award Points, Marks and Grades?
- Design a Grade Scale by Considering “What’s an F worth?”
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #8: I Thought Differentiated Instruction Was for Elementary Schools
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #9: I Subscribe to Ability Grouping
- A Description of the Issue
- Segregation Within the Classroom
- Preparing Global Thinkers
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #10: I Have Real Logistical Issues
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies & Practice Assignments for Overcoming These Obstacles
- Liability Issues
- Scheduling Issues
- The Room is Too Small
- Obstacle #11: I Want My Classroom Under Control
- A Description of the Issue
- Perception of Control Trumps All
- Leadership Style Determines Perception of Control
- An Easy Measure of Leadership
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #12: I Don't Know How to Measure My Students' Learning Style
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Take a cue from your IEP’s
- Provide a Home Base
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#13: I Have Neither the Time Nor the Funding for All That
- A Description of the Time Issue
- I Don’t Have the Time to Plan for All That
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- A Description of the Funding Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #14: I've Been Teaching This Way for Years and It Works
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle#15: There’s No Support For It At My School
- A Description of the Issue
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #16: My District Requires Me to Follow a Prescribed Text
- A Description of the Issue
- Textbook Options Can Create More Effective Readers
- A Variety of Reading Materials Keeps Information Updated
- A Variety of Texts Makes the Information Available to More Students
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #17: Parents Expect Lecture Format in High School For College Prep
- A Description of the Issue
- Differentiated Reading Strategies Help Prepare Students for College Learning
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Obstacle #18: The Bottom Line—If They Are Learning, You Are Teaching
- A Description of the Issue
- Some Students Struggle with Linguistic Dependent Input and Output
- Some Students Struggle with Visual Input and Output
- Solution Strategies
- Practice Assignments for Overcoming This Obstacle
- Suggestions for Further Reading
- Layered Curriculum and Other Specific Strategies for Differentiating Instruction
- Neuroscience and Learning
- Inclusion Strategies
- Control Theory and Self Efficacy
- Pedagogical Theory
- History of the United States School System
- Classroom and School Leadership
- References
- Index
Recent Product Reviews:
"The use of analogies, examples, and classroom stories makes it both engaging and user-friendly. Solutions range far beyond the author's own Layered Curriculum method to include many practical solutions to challenges common to many high school teachers."
CHOICE, June 2006
"This book offers 'assignments' that teachers can use to implement differentiation in their own classrooms, including devising a layered curriculum and offering students choices in displaying their skills."
Class Notes, Spring 2006, Missouri State Teachers Association
"I like the conversational tone of this book. The author is speaking to me, not at me. All of us veteran teachers have been through so many 'new' things that have been discarded after a year or two that we have become jaded. The ideas in this book will be useful for years to come."
William Fitzhugh, Teacher, Reisterstown Elementary School, MD
“Provides the readers with action strategies for differentiating instruction at the secondary level. It will be received with interest by many secondary school educators.”
J. David Smith, Professor of Education and Psychology, University of Virginia’s College of Wise
"Gives a clear road map to follow and provides vital information without preaching. The author acknowledges and places all of a teacher's concerns on the table, and whittles them away with classroom strategies. The casual yet clear format parallels high school teachers' needs."
Toby Karten, Educational Consultant, College of New Jersey, Author, Inclusion Strategies That Work