Differentiation

One of the challenges that confront the twenty first century teachers, is being able to deliver their subject based content to suit various types of learners. This is what differentiation in a lesson plan is all about.

Understanding your students is key to helping you deliver your content.  This is because it gives you an edge, and allows you to meet various learners’ need, by exploring different learning styles.

Teaching has gone beyond the conventional way of a teacher just standing in front of a board, and hoping that all learners would follow. It is more of strategies geared towards meeting different learners’ need, where students do not just learn, but learn with ease, enjoying the process as they go.

What is the teacher’s responsibility then? Everyone who has embraced teaching as a profession should improve and expose themselves to different teaching methods. It is accepted today, in most private schools, that there is no dull child in a class. Every child has a peculiar way of learning, which should be discovered.

If you believe that you are born for the teaching job, then you need to know that it is more than just your paper qualification or pay pack. It is about who you are, and how you do what you do. Meeting the different learners’ need, should be a drive.

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‘Show’ Not ‘Tell’

 

I am sure you must have heard this phrase several times, especially from creative writing instructors.  Writing experts believe that your writing is more interesting if your readers are drawn into your world of imagination by drawing inferences.

‘Show’ not ‘Tell’, is a technique in writing which is employed to provide details about characters or settings. These details, help readers to figure out some information about characters and settings.

I will like to draw examples from two of my students’ write ups. It was really interesting reading their work as they try to use this technique.

1. Tell: John is angry

    Show: John flung all the documents on his table and kicked the chairs beside it. He held his head in both hands, tightly gnashing his teeth and roaring like a hungry lion.

2. Tell: John is sad

   Show: John opened his room and sluggishly sat on the bed shaking his head. He finally rested his head on his hands and gave a heavy sigh.

DIVINE EZE OGBONNA (SSS 2, WINNERS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY, PORTHARCOURT)

1. Tell: John is angry

   Show:  The rage in his breath as he walked to-and fro the room, muttering words that no one could hear. John walked out of the room banging the door behind him and breaking the nearest breakable he could lay his hands on.

2. Tell: John is sad

   Show:  The misery on John’s face left him in deep thoughts, as he sat quietly at the corner of his bed one afternoon. As tears rolled down his cheeks, goose bumps filled his entire body, making him breathe heavily.

OBOT DEBORAH ELIJAH (SSS 2, WINNERS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY, PORTHARCOURT)

 

It is your turn. Figure out this character

1. Show: Joana slowly opened the door which made a screeching sound as it gradually opened. She bent to dodge from a dangling cobweb which seemed to have formed a net at the entrance of the house.  She moved towards the dinning and made patterns on the table. She tried talking, but was greeted by her own echo.

     Tell:

2.   Show:

      Tell: Joana is nervous