How do you effectively differentiate in the classroom?

In this episode, Patti from Madly Learning helps you take the overwhelm out of differentiation. You’ll learn how to design one strong core lesson that meets diverse student needs — without doubling your workload. Patti shares real classroom examples, practical tips, and mindset shifts that make differentiation both manageable and meaningful.

Tuck these in your teacher pocket:

• Differentiation is not about 30 separate lessons — it’s one lesson with multiple access points.
• Focus on flexibility, not perfection.
• Use assessment (formal and informal) to guide your adjustments.
• Scaffold for support and extend for enrichment — all anchored in the same big idea.

Start small with one new strategy and build confidence over time!

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Chapters

• 0:30 Framing Differentiation’s Purpose
• 0:53 One Core Lesson, Many Access Points
• 1:18 Why It Matters: Equity and Access
• 1:51 Myths vs Reality: Not More Work
• 2:30 Designing the Core Task and Supports
• 2:54 Reading Example: Same Text, Different Paths
• 3:26 Scaffolds and Extensions That Work
• 3:56 Assessment as the Engine
• 4:18 Routines: Groups, Choices, Ownership
• 4:38 Start Small: Simple, Flexible Steps
• 5:39 Teach Smarter, Not More
• 5:39 Invitation to Membership Resources

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:15

Hey there, it's Patty from Madly Learning. Today I want to dive deep into differentiation. Now, this is one of those words in teaching that gets used quite a bit. And for many teachers it feels overwhelming. So what I want to do in this video is to clear up what it means, why it matters, and most importantly, how you can make it work in a real classroom without burning yourself out. So if you're ready, let's get started. So for me, differentiation is not about creating 30 different lessons, because who has time for that? It's about creating one strong core lesson and then adjusting the way students access it. That might mean changing the content slightly, or it might mean changing the product, how they show what they know. But at the heart here is the big idea that always stays the same. Everyone is learning, but the path might look a little bit different. So why does differentiation matter? Why do I believe this is so important? Well, because every student who walks into our classroom has different strengths and needs and backgrounds, and some need more support than others. Some need a challenge, and if we only teach to the middle, we risk losing both groups. Differentiation is not about making things easy. It's about making things and learning more accessible. It's about equity, and it gives every child a fair shot at success. So let's clear up some misconceptions here and talk about what they are and what we can do to overcome them. The biggest one here is that differentiation equals more work, that you have to prepare stacks of worksheets or entirely different lessons for each student. That's simply just not sustainable. True differentiation is about flexibility. It's about adjusting in the moment. It could be rephrasing a question, it could be giving students choice and how they respond. It could be scaffolding for one student or extending for another. It's small shifts, not endless prep. When you're balancing your prep time and reality, we know that the reality is we don't have endless prep time. Differentiation can't mean doubling or even tripling the workload because we just don't have time for that. So what I do is designing one solid core task that everyone can access. Then I layer supports around that task, sentence starters, guided questions, graphic organizers, and for those who are ready, I build in extensions, open-ended questions, extra challenges, or even opportunities to go deeper. One lesson, multiple access points, and that's what ends up making it manageable. So let's give an example. Let's say you're using one text for the whole class in a reading lesson, but you change how students interact with the text. Some may work in small groups with me, breaking down the text together, others might work in pairs discussing key ideas with guiding questions, and some can work independently, applying the strategies we had practiced in a previous whole group lesson. The text can be the same. The learning goal is the same, but the path might look different for each group. That's differentiation and practice. When it comes to struggling students, I focus on scaffolding. I give them the tools to reach the goal. That might mean modeling more, breaking tasks into smaller steps, or giving sentence frames. For students who need enrichment, I focus on extensions. I challenge them to go deeper or to make connections or apply concept in a new way. What I don't do is create two completely separate lessons. Everyone stays anchored to that same big idea that keeps the class together while still meeting diverse needs. Now, assessment is the engine that's behind differentiation. It tells me what my students need. I use formal tools like quizzes, but I also rely on informal ones like exit tickets, quick check-ins, and even body language. These small moments of feedback guide my next steps. Without assessment, differentiation is simply just guesswork. With it, it becomes intentional and targeted. Over the years, I've built routines that make differentiation just a regular part of my teaching, such as flexible groupings, open-ended tasks, choice boards. These are structures that allow students to work at their level without me having to micromanage. It gives them ownership and frees me up to circulate and respond where needed. And let's be honest, differentiation can feel overwhelming if you try to do it all all the time. Here's my reminder: you don't need to differentiate every single lesson, every single day for every single student. Focus on the big ideas. Plan tasks that are open enough for all students and give yourself permission to keep it simple. The goal again here is growth, not perfection. If you're just starting out with differentiation, here's my advice. Start small. Pick one strategy. Maybe it's offering choice. Maybe it's using exit tickets and adjust your next lesson. Maybe it's trying flexible groups. Choose one. Build confidence and then add more over time. Remembering this is a journey. It doesn't happen overnight, and that's okay. Differentiation is not about doing more, it's about teaching smarter. It's about knowing your students, planning with flexibility, and responding in the moment. When you do this, you create a classroom where every student feels supported and challenged. And that's the kind of classroom we all want to be in. If you'd like more support with lesson planning and building a differentiated classroom, check out the resources inside my Ignited Teaching Membership for math, literacy, science, and social studies. See you next time.