This topic can cause even a veteran teacher to cringe. How do I teach the same subject/topic to 25 individuals per class times six classes for a total of 150 individuals? That’s what could be considered the absolute worst-case scenario. If you really think about, it won’t really be necessary to come up with 150 different lesson plans or even 25 different lesson plans.
Most individuals can be put into just a few groups. I know, I know. That sounds contradictory. But if we look at table 19-1 (Ngeow, 308), there are only seven learning styles – linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Now, seven is a whole lot fewer than 150. This is something I can get my brain around.
Most of these styles can be intertwined in countless combinations in almost any language lesson. It is true that some of the styles lend themselves to “blending” more than others. For instance, musical and bodily-kinesthetic could easily be paired in a lesson where one partner sings the “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” song while their partner goes through the motions. Using a combination of two of the styles reduces the number of lesson plans the teacher must create down to three or four.
Trying to reduce it further would probably defeat the purpose of individualized instruction. I believe that individuals can learn in this group and blend method. In the real world, this may be as good as it gets. Ngeow says that:
"…it is necessary to have students work in groups in order to increase the time spent at the computer during a task. A good reason for encouraging group work at the computer is that it leads learners to use their individual learning styles to the group’s advantage."
The reality is that in a real classroom with 25+ students it would be next to impossible to come up with 25 individualized plans. A few groups is the next best thing.
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I meant to add this as well.
"Teach to the middle." That's what one veteran teacher told me when I started teaching only three years ago. I soon found out that about 40% of my students were quickly losing interest either because the lesson was too easy or too hard. Half of those were bored to tears. The other half could not keep up the pace. Both groups were becoming discipline problems. That first year I kept my blinders on and taught to the middle.
My second year of teaching was going to be oh so different. I had a plan! I would let the quicker learners move ahead on their own and spend more time with learners who had difficulties. It did not work the way I had planned. Everything was fine at first. Then, after a while, the top students saw this is as an opportunity to do the minimum and move on without truly mastering a topic. The D and F students took advantage of the fact that I was spending more time with them and seemed to be unable to produce anything without me standing by their side.
I am not giving up though. There has to be a way for public school teachers to offer individualized instruction based on the students' needs and learning styles.
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