Differentiated Instruction and Professional Development

As I was going through my Twitter Feed, I came across the following Tweet from @JennGRoach

A3:Differentiation is the key to relevant PD.Don't ask Ts to sit thru basics if they're outperforming instructor. Rigor&Relevance #satchatwc
— Jennifer (@JennGRoach) March 7, 2015

If we as educators believe in the merits of Differentiated Instruction, then we must act on this belief. I often say the best Professional Development is self-guided. There is nothing stopping a teacher from doing a simple Google Search in order to find out about what additions have been made to the literature.

As districts seek to develop their teachers by equipping them with knowledge and best practices, it is important that the methods contain relevance, professionalism, and mirror the instructional philosophy of the district. For example, a district that strongly believes in Differentiated Instruction and high student engagement should have Professional Development that allows teachers to apply new methods, analyze case studies, and fully engage in the process.

BOTTOM LINE: PD on Differentiated Instruction should NOT be a sit-and-get session.

Marvin Byrd
@MarvinByrd

It Can Be Done