Administrators

There are a variety of ways in which administrators can support teachers as they develop their expertise at differentiating.

Consider some of Carol Ann Tomlinson’s (1999) suggestions for administrators (pp. 108-118):

• Administrators can cast the vision of differentiation. Do not ask teachers to share a vision that has not yet been shared with them. By articulating the rationale against traditional one-size-fits-all approaches, administrators can help change the belief structure of the organization. Casting a vision it does not automatically make actualizing that vision a top-down requirement, but without actively sharing the vision and rationale regarding the importance of differentiated instruction, administrators cannot play a central role in successful implementation.
  
  
• Administrators model differentiation.  By assuming the role of teacher, administrators help to model differentiation just as they would when modeling anything they expect to be replicated by the teaching ranks. Just as students may be asked to achieve a common goal but be provided different pathways, so too teachers may be asked to actively differentiate but to do so in a way that respects their individual differences. Administrators who can find ways to reflect a differentiated approach with their staff will have strong connections with teachers when making a case for differentiation.
  
  
• Administrators can support teachers for the long haul. By investing in differentiation for the long-haul, rather than as a quick fix, administrators reinforce for teachers that meeting the needs of all learners is a value that permeates the institution. This idea is especially important to combat the destructive habit some educators have of viewing any new initiative as a fad or reform du jour. Just as students often key in on what they think is important to the teacher, staff will likely value differentiation if they see it being consistently valued by district and building-level leaders.
  
  
• Administrators can help ensure that polices and procedures support differentiation. Administrators must identify and lead crucial conversations that support teachers in their efforts to differentiate. Examples for systems to consider range from modifying the school schedule to allow for more collaboration, to having a district-wide plan for modified report cards to help students, parents, and staff reflect their belief that feedback to students should account for individual growth. A district that has only slogans or shallow attempts at differentiating will ultimately revert back to take-it-or-leave-it approaches.
  
  
• Administrators can support differentiation through professional development. By using appropriate strategies for ongoing professional development, administrators convey that they too are willing to have a “whatever it takes” approach to meet the needs of staff directly, and students indirectly. Because teachers may need different kinds of supports at different times, districts need to anticipate a range of needs in advance so that change results over time. While there may be many options, staying stagnant is not one of them.
  
  
• Administrators can support novice teachers.  No one is immune to the challenges of serving a diverse learning population, especially new teachers. Because few new teachers have had much more than cursory exposure to differentiation, and likely have had only one survey course in serving the needs of students with disabilities, administrators must look for ways to support teachers early in their careers. While it is too early to expect to see the “fine motor skills” of a robust differentiation, having these teachers demonstrate the “gross motor skills” and general decision-making process are realistic goals.