The dinner guests  were sitting around the table discussing life.. One man, a CEO of a  large company, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued,  "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in  life was to become a teacher?"

    He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers:  "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said  to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you  make?"

 Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty  and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?" (She paused for a  second, then began...)

 "Well, I make kids work  harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like a Medal  of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their  parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie  rental. You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at  each and every person at the table.)

 'I make  kids wonder. I make them ask questions. I make them apologize and mean  it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.  I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't  everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their  work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made  calculator.


    I make my students from other  countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving  their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my  students feel safe.

 I make my students stand  and sing the national anthem every morning, because we live in this  great country called the United States. Finally, I make them understand  that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their  hearts, they can succeed in life."

  (Bonnie  paused one last time and then continued.)

   "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money  isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention  because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make? I MAKE A  DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?"
    His jaw dropped,  he went silent.

Teaching does make a difference!

Differentiation is just as important in teaching good study strategies as it is to teach the materials to be studied.

Everyone is different, different methods work for different people.

As a teacher we need to utilize whatever it takes to enhance student learning.

 We will differentiate by Readiness, Interest, & Learning Styles. 
(Does this sound familiar?)

Readiness

Are they “ready” to learn? 
We must assess what they know in order to teach them what they need to know. At each grade level, incoming students have vastly different levels of ability and understanding. At the beginning of the school term, as well as at the beginning of each unit of instruction, the teacher may not know what students have been taught and what they have retained. Pre-assessment is a useful tool that can help determine what needs to be reviewed, emphasized, or introduced for the first time. After students have taken a pre-test, the teacher can determine both the range of students' knowledge and understanding. Pre-testing is a great strategy to improve students’ learning.

Interest

Are they “interested” in learning? 
Think about this…The first time a student hears new information, unless the student is interested in learning it or connects it with prior knowledge or something they already know, the chances are that the next time they hear it will be just another first time. Let think about this even more, if you do not have the student’s attention/ interest, they probably will not learn and if they are not interested they will not pay attention. The chances are that your students are not going to learn or remember anything they are not interested in.  So what should you do? Create an interest!  Make learning/ studying/ homework fun.

Learning Styles

Are their “learning styles” being optimized? 

Auditory learners are typically good at absorbing information from spoken words. 
Strategies that work well for auditory learners include:
*Talking to themselves or with others about what they’re learning 
*Reciting important information aloud, perhaps recording it and playing it back 
*Reading a book and listening to the audio book at the same time 
*Using word associations 
*Setting information to a tune and singing it to help remember it 
*Limiting distracting noises

Kinesthetic learners prefer to be active while studying and may not be able to focus while sitting still. 
Strategies for kinesthetic learners include:
*Reading aloud and tracking words on a page with a finger
*Writing things down multiple times to commit them to memory 
*Highlighting and underlining 
*Playing with a stress ball or toy while studying 
*Moving around or taking frequent breaks 
*Doing hands-on activities, such as building models or playing games

Visual learners benefit from seeing information on a chalkboard or in an illustration and may grow impatient listening for long periods of time.
Strategies for visual learners include:
*Using flash cards 
*Study charts, tables,maps. and other graphic organizers
*Drawing illustrations 
*Writing things down and reviewing notes 
*Highlighting and underlining 
*Color-coding information