This document contains notes from a secondary teacher training session on lesson planning and differentiation. It provides questions for teachers to consider when planning lessons, such as objectives, activities, and accommodating different student needs. It also discusses differentiating instruction through varying tasks, materials, feedback and grouping students by ability. The goal of differentiation is to provide an appropriate level of challenge for all students.

1. START OF THE YEAR
SECONDARY TEACHER
TRAINING SESSION
Marianthi Kotadaki
School Advisor for Teachers of English,
Ilia, Peloponnese

2. http://dschool.edu.gr

3. Useful questions to ask for lesson
planning
1.
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15.
What is the purpose of the lesson?
What are the objectives for the lesson?
What is the best way for the pupils to achieve?
What activities or tasks will help them to achieve?
What is the minimum amount of time needed for each task or activity?
What will happen when different pupils take different amounts of time
to do a task?
What extension activities can I provide for those pupils who finish
their work early?
Are the pupils likely to be fully occupied in learning throughout the
lesson?
Have I catered for my SEN (special education needs) and/or G&T (gifted and talented)
pupils?
How much time do I set aside to settle the class?
What materials and resources will I need for the lesson?
What homework have I planned for the students?

4. Can you write a caption for this
photo?

5. Student grouping
Controlled activity
Strong with weak
Free activity
Strong with strong
Weak with weak
If the group is working with a set of information, divide the
information between the students so that they work together.

6. All classes are mixed-ability classes. No matter what criteria are used to sort
pupils into so-called ability groups there are no homogeneous classes; every
class consists of mixed interests and abilities.

7. K : KNOW
U : UNDERSTAND
D : D0
Must – Should – Could
All – Most - Some

8. Varying the
outcomes :
Topic of
“café”
- decide on a name for the café,
- design a menu,
- record a radio advert announcing special offers
-write the script of a play
Every pupil is given a task to complete.
All the different tasks are brought together at the end of the project
and pieced together like a jigsaw

9. The theory of multiple intelligences

10. Exploiting stor y content

11. Dif ferentiation : a BLEND of wholeclass, group, and individual
instruction.
1. Students come together as a whole group to begin a lesson.
2. Students move out to pursue learning in small groups or
individually.
3. Students come back together to share, make plans for additional
investigations.
4. Students move out again for work.
5. Students come together again to share or review, and so on.

13. Steps to dif ferentiating
Decide first exactly what core learning your lesson is intended to
achieve
Organize a support routine of different tasks, activities or
interventions, or
Extension / anchor activities that help some progress further
involving greater challenge
Differentiate by adapting materials questioning, tasks, etc

14. Things to dif ferentiate
a.
b.
a.
b.
preparing different levels of task
within the whole class
pupils perform at their own level
c.
using materials, texts or resources
chosen to suit pupils’ needs
d.
changing and adapting teacher
feedback
Differentiation by task
Differentiation by outcome
c.
Differentiation by resource
d.
Differentiation by support
e.
Differentiation by time/pace
e.
f.
Differentiation by teaching
style
extending r reducing
task/questioning time
f.
Asking different responses from
pupils

15. Tiered activities : creating a
brochure

16. To achieve dif ferentiation
Evidence of differences (knowledge, skills, styles, interests)
Student-centered, teacher moves from group to group or to
individuals
Careful planning, good class management
Clearly explained tasks and procedures
Variety in presentation techniques
Opportunity for choice

17. Homework
to consolidate class work
Weaker students
Stronger students
less demanding tasks
more challenging tasks
can help both to motivate
should ensure that they
them and to give them
remain motivated and
further practice in areas
continue to make progress
of the language which they
have not yet mastered