Curriculum & Instruction That Are Scaffolded

"Great teachers consistently raise the ceiling of performance for each learner. At the same time, they raise the support system for each student" (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 64).

High quality teaching = placing work just out of reach for each learner + helping each student reach to succeed

To scaffold growth, we (teachers) follow a logic of thought:

1. We know exactly where each student needs to be at the end of a lesson, unit, or year to continue to grow (developing expert-like knowledge, understanding, and skill AND personally).
2. We figure out where each student is at the beginning, in relation to the goal.
3. We take action to ensure each student grows as much as possible in relation to the learning goals and personal development related to those goals.

Curriculum & Instruction Techniques:

• Guide teacher in teaching diverse learners successfully;
• Establish clear criteria for classroom operation that supports students' success;
• Include various modes of teaching to reach different learners;
• Utilize teacher modeling, organizers, and other instructional strategies to reach all learners;
• Use individual, small group, and whole group instruction;
• Include a variety of materials to support each learners' growth;
• Allow flexible use of time in response to the rate of learning the material;
• Build in peer-support mechanisms;
• Provide various pathways to learning and expressing learning;
• Specify quality work criteria and coach students in achieving the criteria;
• Involve learners in establishing their own goals, criteria for their work, and assessing their progress toward the criteria.

Curriculum & instruction that are important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffolded give students lofty things to do, establish an environment crafted on relationships and procedures that maximize the likelihood of success, tap into what matters to the learner, and build bridges between today's realities and the vision of tomorrow's success (p. 66).

Reference
Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom: Strategies and tools for responsive teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.