Equitable Teaching Reflection: How do we design learning supports for all students? (EQ3)

My original musings around learning supports for all students can be found here and here. Originally, these thoughts were split into understanding how to design learning to begin with and how to follow-up on student learning, so I will follow the same splits this time around.

When it comes to designing tasks to support all students, an immediate question is how do I possibly accommodate all different learning styles and needs in one classroom that has 20, 30+ students?  The easy answer is that you cannot always do it all at one time, but you can vary your styles in order to continue to make space for everything. Each student in the classroom should have access to the content. Sometimes, a teaching style might fall into your lap that seems to work for everyone. But something I've learned to remember is that someone might still be left out, and they just haven't made you aware. This is the reason I have committed to frequently reviewing my teaching methods to ensure they are still working for my students. This was especially inspired after reviewing the Hand, Kirtley, and Matassa (2015) piece in my first blog post linked above. I enjoyed the noting of students' competencies to ensure you are supporting each of them, but I wondered how effective the strategy would be because, of course, students change over time! My conclusion was that I must always be editing myself and reviewing my practices.

Another way to maximize learning supports and styles is group work. At this point, I feel like all I talk about is group work! I've learned that I really love the opportunities it provides for students, in this case for seeing different ways to think about math and for developing interdependence. As students work together, they get to work in the ways that are best for them, and they get to rely on their peers for support. With only a few students relying on that specific situation, the support can come from many places amongst a small number of needs versus me as a single teacher trying to support all 30 different styles. 

Following-up on the previous day's learning is actually the pinnacle of reviewing my teaching style and seeing what is working and what is not. I mentioned the first time around that exit tickets are a great way to see what students have learned, but so is asking them, monitoring them throughout the period, and collecting any other work from the day's events. This requires me to always review this content in order to prepare for the next lesson and make adjustments accordingly. However, this runs into a moment where I wonder about the practicality of this decision. Will I always be able to accomplish this within my work hours, or at least within the boundaries I have set for myself? I am making a commitment to avoid putting in too many unbilled hours, but what is realistic?