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BuythisissueReadAbstract

October2003|Volume61|Number2TeachingAllStudentsPages611

DecidingtoTeachThemAllCarolAnnTomlinsonAskingtherightquestionshasanenormousimpactonhowwepursueequityandexcellenceinourclassrooms.

Severalyearsago,IwastalkingwithacolleaguewhowasteachinginacenterbasedschoolforstudentswhoseIQscoresregisteredabove140.Shethoughtdeeplyabouthowtostretchherstudents,whoseceilingsofpossibilityoftengounexploredinheterogeneousclassrooms.Shewasagoodteacherinthatsetting.Sheknewit.Herstudentsknewit.Theirparentsknewit.SoIwassurprisedbywhatshesaidthatday.Iwanttogobacktoageneraleducationclassroomnextyear,shebegan.

IwanttoseewhatwouldhappenifItriedteachingthiscurriculumtoavariedgroupofstudents.IbelieveIcouldmakeitwork,andit'simportanttometoknowwhetherIcan.

Shegotherwish.Hernewgroupof5thgradersinadifferentschoolthefollowingyearwascertainlydiverse.Shehadstudentswithidentifiedspecialeducationneeds,studentswhocouldnotyetreadinanymeaningfulway,studentswhowerelearningtospeakEnglish,studentswhowereworkingatgradelevel,andstudentswhoweremorecapablethanmanyinherpreviousschool.Shetaughtthemallofthemthehighchallengecurriculumthatshehadbeenusingwithherclassofveryadvancedlearners.Tosaythatnoproblemsemergedandthateveryonerosefairytaleliketothechallengewouldbesatisfying.Butitwouldnotbehonest.Thetruthisthatmyfriendhadtomakemanyadaptationsinhernewclassroomthatwerenotnecessaryinherformersetting.Shehadtofindtimetoworkintensivelywithstudentswhowerenotyetliteratetoensuretheirgrowthinthegatekeeperskillsofreadingandwriting.Shehadtofindwaystosupportsomestudentswhosecaregiverscouldnotprovidetransportation,Internetaccess,orprojectmaterials.Shehadtoteachinquiryskillstomanystudentswhohadnotpreviouslyencounteredthem.Sheevenhadtofigureoutnewwaystoextendtheadvancedcurriculumforstudentswhosereachalreadyexceededitsparameterswhentheyearbegan.Inmanyways,thisveteranteacherfeltlikeanovice.Shewasn'talwayssurehowtoarrangetimetoworkwithsmallgroupsofstudentswithparticularneeds.Sheoftenwasn'tcertainhowtoexpressabstractideassothattheconcretethinkerscouldconfidentlyapproachthem.Butfromthebeginningoftheyear,onefactwasclear:Herclassroomwasamagnetforeachstudentwhospent5thgradewithher.Discoverywasagiven.Doingwasawayoflife.Studentslearnedtodobetterthanwhattheyperceivedtobetheirbest.Skillshadanidentifiablepurpose.Schoolwastheplacetobe.Learningwasthethingtodo.Noonewantedtheyeartoend.Wecouldsaythatthisteacherdecidedtodifferentiateinstructioninamixedabilityclassroomthatshedecidedtoteachthemallinaheterogeneoussetting.Itwouldbetemptingtosaythatshewasaposterteacherfordifferentiationofinstruction.

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ButIlearnedsomethingmoreimportantfromherandherstudents.AsIwatchedtheirjourney,Irealizedthatshewasaskingasetofquestionsaboutteachingdifferentfromthoseweoftenaskaprofoundlyimportantsetofquestions.

FramingtheQuestionsMycolleaguehadalreadyposedthemostfundamentalofthequestionsrelatedtoacademicallydiversepopulations:DoIintendtoteacheachindividualchild?Althoughthereseemstobeonlyoneanswertothequestion,therealityismorecomplex.Thecircumstancesofteachingmakeitfarmorelikelythatwerespondbysaying,IintendtoteachthecurriculuminasreasonableawayasIknowhow,andIhopethatmostofthestudentswillrespond.Myfriend'sanswersignaledherwillingnesstoacceptresponsibilityforthesuccessofeachindividual,regardlessofthecircumstancesofthatstudent'slife.Toteacheachstudentfromhisorherpointofentryintothecurriculumandperspectiveasalearnerismorethandifficult.Itisagoalbeyondthegraspofeventhemostexpertteacher.Theoutcomeforstudentswhoareoutliers,however,islikelytobevastlydifferentwhenateacherpursuesthatelusivegoalthanwhentheteacherbyintentordefaultabandonsit.Thisparticular5thgradeteacherelectedtoteachinpursuitofthatgoal,andhercommitmentmadeaworldofdifferenceinherclassroom.Mycolleagueaskedotherquestionsaboutheracademicallydiverselearnersandhowshewouldrespondtothem.ThewaysheframedherquestionswasdifferentfromwhatIsuspectiscustomary,andthesubtledifferencesyieldedpowerfuldistinctionsinherwork.Thisteacherdidnotask,Whatlabelsdomystudentshave?Rather,sheasked,Whataretheirparticularinterestsandneeds?Becauseneedsratherthanlabelsguidedherinstruction,studentsmovedfreelyamongpeersandopportunities.Bothherteachingandherstudentsseemedlessrestricted,freer.Shedidnotask,Whataremystudents'deficits?Instead,sheasked,Whataretheirstrengths?Althoughsheclearlyunderstoodtheneedtopatchholesinthefabricoftheirproficiency,beginningwithwhatstudentscoulddochangedthetoneoftheclassroomandthewillofreluctantlearners.Inplaceofasking,HowdoIremediatestudents?,shepondered,WhatcanIdotoensurethateachstudentworksatthehighestlevelofthoughtandproductionpossible?Sheunderstoodthatpurposepropelshumanbeingsandthatrich,purposefulcurriculumpropelsstudentstomasterwhateverskillstheyneedtosucceed.Thisteacherdidnotask,HowcanImotivatethesestudents?Instead,shewondered,Whatreleasesthemotivationborninallhumans?Shedidnotask,WhatdoIdoifastudentcannotaccomplishmyagenda?Sheasked,HowmightIadapttheagendatoworkforthestudent?Ialsocametounderstandthesubtlebutcrucialdistinctioninoneothercommonschoolquestion.Myfrienddidnotask,Whereshouldweputthisstudent?Instead,sheasked,Whatcircumstanceswillbethemosteffectivecatalystforthisstudent'sdevelopment?Takensingly,thequestionsareinterestingandfruitful.Takenasagroup,theyaretransformational.Theyarequestionsinsearchofequityandexcellenceforeachlearner.

SeekingEquityandExcellenceTheUnitedStateshasalwaysbalancedprecariouslyonthetwinvaluesofequityandexcellence.Asapeople,webelievethatbirthinalogcabinshouldnotbeabarriertotheboardroomortheOvalOfficeandthatallcitizensshouldhaveaccesstotheopportunitiesthatwillhelpthemrealizetheirpotential.Similarly,weclingtoavisionoftheUnitedStatesasrepresentingthebest.Westandforthefastestcars,thetallestbuildings,thefinestmedicalcare,andthemostinnovativetechnology.Wearecommittedtoexcellence.Lettheworldgenerateaproblem:Wewillsolveit.Toloseeitherequityorexcellenceasaguidingvaluewouldbetoloseouridentity.Tomaintainboth,however,isabalancingactofthehighestorder.Andthechallengeisperhapsgreatestintheschoolsthatshapeyoungpeopletobegoodstewardsofthesevalues.Althoughwedon'toftenthinkabouttheimpactofeducationdecisionsonthebalancebetweenequityandexcellence,manydecisionspushthefulcruminonedirectionortheotherforindividuallearners,groups,orschoolsasawhole.Acurriculumfurthersexcellencewhenitopensdoorstoapromisingtomorrow.Instructionfurthersexcellencewhenitmovesalearneraseffectivelyaspossibletowardexpertiseasathinker,problemsolver,andproducer.Andprocedures,policies,andpracticesfurtherequitywhentheymaximizethelikelihoodthateachlearnerwillbeafullparticipantinanexcellencebasededucation.The5thgradeteacher'squestionswereherguidepoststoachievingequityandexcellenceforthewidestpossiblerangeofstudents.Herdecisiontomovefromaschoolwhereacomplex,dynamiccurriculumwasagiventoa

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classroomwherethatwaslesslikelywasanexcellencebaseddecision.Shewantedtoensurethatamaximumnumberofstudentsseethemselvesasworthyofwrestlingwithideasandissues,justasadultsdo.Hadshemadeanyotherassumptioninhermixedabilityclassroom,hermostablestudentswouldhaveexperiencedexcellencedevoidofchallengeandsweat.Forsuchstudents,thissortofpseudoexcellenceisatfirstseductivebutultimatelycrippling.Sherefusedtobeathiefofchallengeforhermostadvancedlearners.Beginningwithhighqualitycurriculumandinstructionisaprecursortoexcellenceforanystudent.Forthisteacher,labelsdidnotdefineaccesstoqualityofthoughtorproduction.Rather,qualitywasthefoundationfromwhichlearningforallstudentscouldemanate.Equityinthisteacher'sclassroomwasalsocentral.Herpivotal,equitybaseddecisionwasdeterminingthatawiderangeoflearnersshouldhaveaccesstoexcellence.Thensheimmediatelybeganaskingherself,HowdoIsupporteachstudent'spersistentmovementtowardexcellenceandexpertise?Equitynotonlygrantsaccessbutalsosupportssuccess.Aplantoteachstudentsskillsthattheyhadmissedinthepastwasinoperation,butneverasanendinitself.Suchremediationwasalwaysintheserviceofacceleration.

GrapplingwiththeMessinessofTeachingUncertaintyisinherentinteaching.Althoughwecanseldomguaranteetheresultsofourdecisions,wemustmakedecisions,nonetheless.Inatimewhenwefindourstudentpopulationsbecomingexponentiallymorediverse,westillfindourselvesaskingsuchquestionsas,Whatistherightlabelforthischild?Isthegeneralclassroombestorisaresourcesettingpreferable?Candifferentiationmeetthespecializedlearningneedsofstudents?Shouldspecialistsfocustheirenergiesonstudentsorteachers?Therealityisthatthesequestionsleadusnowhere.Labelsoftenstigmatizewithoutofferingacounterbalancingbenefit.Somegeneralclassroomscripplestudents,andothergeneralclassroomsarealmostholyintheircapacitytoevokethebestinawiderangeoflearners.Likewise,someresourceroomsbecomeprisonlikeinlimitingoptionsforstudentswhobecomedependentonthem,whereasotherresourceroomsopenaccesstoabetterfuture.Differentiationcanreinforcestatus,ordifferentiationcanliberatestudentsfromstereotypicalexpectations.Onespecialistcantouchhundredsoflivesthroughsuccessfulcollaborationwithasingleteacher,whereasotherspecialistsarewastingtheirtimeattemptingcollaboration.Students,evenofagivencategory,differgreatly.Thecontextsinwhichwemightprovideservicesforthemdefygeneralization.Ifwereframethequestionsthatweask,atectonicshiftmightoccurinhowwemakedecisionsonbehalfofacademicallydiverselearners.Not,Whatlabels?but,Whatinterestsandneeds?Not,Whatdeficits?but,Whatstrengths?Not,Howdoweremediate?(orevenHowdoweenrichthestandardcurriculum?)but,Howdowemaximizeaccesstotherichestpossiblecurriculumandinstruction?Not,Howdowemotivate?but,Whatwouldittaketotapthemotivationalreadywithinthislearner?Not,Whichkindofsetting?but,Whatcircumstancesmaximizethestudent'sfullpossibilities?Ultimately,justonequestionmightbestservediverselearners,theirteachers,andtheirsociety.Whatcanwedotosupporteducatorsindevelopingtheskillandthewilltoteachforeachlearner'sequityofaccesstoexcellence?

PrinciplesforFosteringEquityandExcellenceinAcademicallyDiverseLearners

Goodcurriculumcomesfirst.Theteacher'sfirstjobisalwaystoensureacoherent,important,inviting,andthoughtfulcurriculum.Alltasksshouldrespecteachlearner.Everystudentdeservesworkthatisfocusedontheessentialknowledge,understanding,andskillstargetedforthelesson.Everystudentshouldberequiredtothinkatahighlevelandshouldfindhisorherworkinterestingandpowerful.Whenindoubt,teachup!Goodinstructionstretcheslearners.Thebesttasksarethosethatstudentsfindalittletoodifficulttocompletecomfortably.Besurethere'sasupportsysteminplacetofacilitatethestudent'ssuccessatalevelthatheorshedoubtedwasattainable.Useflexiblegrouping.Findwaysandtimefortheclasstoworkasawhole,forstudentstodemonstratecompetencealone,andforstudentstoworkwithvariedgroupsofpeers.Usingonlyoneortwotypesofgroupscausesstudentstoseethemselvesandoneanotherinmorelimitedways,keepstheteacherfromauditioningstudentsinvariedcontexts,andlimitspotentiallyrichexchangesintheclassroom.Becomeanassessmentjunkie.Everythingthatastudentsaysanddoesisapotentialsourceofassessmentdata.Assessmentshouldbeanongoingprocess,conductedinflexiblebutdistinctstages,anditshouldmaximizeopportunitiesforeachstudenttoopenthewidestpossiblewindowonhisorherlearning.Gradetoreflectgrowth.Themostwecanaskofanypersonandtheleastweoughttoaskistobeandbecometheirbest.Theteacher'sjobistoguideandsupportthelearnerinthisendeavor.Gradingshould,inpart,reflectalearner'sgrowth.AdaptedfromDifferentiationinPractice:AResourceGuideforDifferentiatingCurriculum,Grades59,byCarolAnn

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TomlinsonandCarolineCunninghamEidson(ASCD,2003).

CarolAnnTomlinsonisProfessorofEducationalLeadership,Foundations,andPolicyStudies,CurrySchoolofEducation,UniversityofVirginia,P.O.Box400277,Charlottesville,VA22904cat3y@virginia.edu.

KEYWORDSClickonkeywordstoseesimilarproducts:equity,giftedstudents,specialeducation

Copyright2003byAssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment

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