Diversity X 2

In this picture there are two of my students working side by side...the student on the right is a very auditory learner and he is also advanced...the student on the left is also an auditory learner; however, he is very low performing. By placing these two next to one another they are able to help each other. They both listen, but can be distracted by other things going on in the room. My advanced student is very good about helping to reiterate something I've said if my lower performing student misses something. This also allows him to assume a "teaching" position which gives him even more confidence about the material we are covering. We played a quiz game today to review for our test that we are having tomorrow...when it came time for my low performing student's turn, he nonchalantly said, "I'm going to get it wrong, I don't know anything." I was so proud when he was able to not only answer his question correctly, but explain it! (Just thought I would add in that last little note.)

Diversity in my classroom

Diversity is a very broad term, so I feel as though the definition of our diverse learners fits a very wide scope of students. In this picture you will see one of my students working independently on a spreadsheet. This particular student is one of our ALE students...it would be easy to assume he fit the reputation that comes with that title; however, in my classroom things are different. If I keep him alone and at his own computer station, close to me, he works very well. He has trouble staying focused if other students are too close by; he tends to have behavioral problems with other students. He is what I consider one of my diverse learners; with just a few adjustments he is able to work successfully in class.