Teaching Gifted and Nongifted Students in the Differentiated Classroom

Prufrock author Laurie Westphal, after teaching science for more than 15 years, has made it her goal to convert as many teachers as she can to what she calls “the differentiated lifestyle.” With the many books she’s published on the topic of differentiation, Laurie shows teachers how they can offer students learning opportunities tailored to their interests, needs, and abilities. She also travels widely to work one-on-one with teachers in professional development sessions and at conferences.

In keeping with her message of differentiation, Laurie reaches out to her readers in a variety of ways. She has a website that she updates regularly, as well as a blog, and you can follow her on Twitter @GTConsultant.

Teachers looking for ways to differentiate in the classroom can often benefit from combining various resources. To reach students with a wide range of abilities, teachers can use Laurie's two menus series (Differentiating Instruction With Menus and Differentiating Instruction With Menus for the Inclusive Classroom) alongside one another as Laurie explains in the video below. This way, teachers can guide gifted students, students working at grade level, and students working below grade level as they learn the same topics at their own pace. Check it out!