“In special education, there’s too much emphasis placed on the deficit and not enough on the strength.” – Temple Grandin

The Learning Differences standard guides teachers to create an inclusive classroom environment where all students are able to access high level instruction and feel that they are given ample opportunities and scaffolding to build on their individual skills and strengths to achieve their academic goals.

To successfully integrate the Learning Differences standard, the teacher will make an effort to get to know her students well and find out about their interests, skills and backgrounds, she will consult with SPED and ELL teachers on how to best work with all students and will plan on different strategies to allow room for academic growth for all students.

Getting to know students will help teachers to establish relationships and gain students’ trust which will facilitate academic gain.Once the teacher is more knowledgeable about students’ individual plans and accommodations needs, she will tailor instruction to incorporate these needs and allow room for accommodations. For example, the teacher will allow extra time for small group work,  and will provide extra scaffolding as needed. Or, she will make sure to remind students with special needs, such as sensitivity to loud noises to wear their headphones while certain clips/documentaries are shown.

Varying instructional strategies and employing different activities will ensure student engagement and will incorporate multiple intelligences. For example, utilizing technology to create an infographic, or working on simple timelines or journaling will allow students to build on their individual strenghts.

For more on Learning Differences, please read my paper “Learning Environments.”