In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide.
Carol Ann TomlinsonWe can always gain more depth and breadth in our work [as educators]. There are always new discoveries to be made.
Carol Ann TomlinsonI think [testing] has had a profoundly problematic impact on student learning. It must seem to students that their worth as individuals is equivalent to their test score. The stress the high stakes culture has on teachers is also highly negative and must surely impact students in a negative way. It also de-professionalizes teachers because it encourages them to be script readers, followers of rigid schedules, and to disregard the needs of the people they teach in favor of the scripts and schedules.
Carol Ann TomlinsonIn the field of education, educators know that they leave a lasting impact on their students for better or for worse. Trust is established or diminished in the classroom and very good educators understand that they are fallible. Despite their best efforts, they will not always do the best for each student.
Carol Ann TomlinsonProspective teachers may read about the science of education, but they'll only grasp the art in their early years by seeing it practiced and having it commended to them.
Carol Ann TomlinsonDifferentiated Instruction is a teaching philosophy based on the premise that teachers should adapt instruction to student differences. Rather than marching students through the curriculum lockstep, teachers should modify their instruction to meet students' varying readiness levels, learning preferences, and interests. Therefore, the teacher proactively plans a variety of ways to 'get it' and express learning.
Carol Ann Tomlinson