DIfferentiate

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Home : 2006 : November : 9

DIfferentiate
By csteach

Hi,
I'm not sure what grade you teach, but I have had the same child for 2 years: 4th, 5th. We have had a lot of success (her feeling included) by discussing beforehand what we will be doing in class. For journal during
the week I had a picture of a pumpkin and each child could do with it what they wish. She simply wrote about pumpkins, while others turned them into jack-o-lanterns. If we are writing holiday poems, she would write a season poem. My "holiday" wordsearches are labeled by month instead of holiday. Since she is older, she knows when she can't do something. I usually have another activity

for her to do or something she can do to help the class if an activity goes against her beliefs. She usually doesn't come to school on days we are celebrating a holiday. Our school is very diverse, so we don't have Christmas parties, we have winter celebrations. Today, we had a cultural feast instead of a Thanksgiving feast, which she was able to participate in.
I try to do what I can to make her feel included and valued, since most students don't celebrate life the same way her family does she already feels different.