Blog Post #4

Part A
I think that it is important but hard to determine what to teach and what not to teach. I think that understanding differentiation can help a teacher be successful in determining what is important and what is not important. If you know your students and their needs you can better decide what they need to learn. Differentiation allows you to have lessons that connect to the lives of your students. When we know what to teach and are allowed to go deeper and explore the concept more students understand the curriculum and can make connections. We must find the essential questions to ask and build our lessons around. We want our students to achieve we need to spend time working on them and their high order thinking. I was not aware of all these reasons and I don't disagree with any but I don't think I fully understand the "frames" reason. How is it any different than finding the essential questions. I think that it means that we must find the bones of the curriculum and work our way out. This reading has taught me that teaching with differentiation is like building house once you have a strong foundation the rest will find its place in your teaching. It is hard work but it is important and doable.

Part B
Below is a list of 4 key ingredients I think you need to be a "fox-taming" teacher.

1. Clear expectations (pg. 69) are important to becoming a "fox-taming" teacher. A teacher like this will set up the expectations for each student and help them to succeed. It is important for teachers to connect with students while still maintaining a high level for the students to reach to.
2. A "fox-taming" needs to "provide choices that ensure focus" (pg. 72). It is important that we create respectful choices that lead our students to learn. We need to give them choices that allow them to explore and challenge all learners.
3. "Aim high" (pg. 81) Teachers who have the ability to be "fox-taming" will ask the students to reach beyond themselves and a teacher is their to scaffolding their learning. It is important to show them that they can achieve above what even they think they can.
4. "Promote language proficiency" (pg. 85) is the most important one for me because I will be working with students who are ELL's. It is important to help them be proficient and grow. They need to know that I think they can reach above themselves and gain the new language while still learning answers to the essential questions.