Spicy Challenges - Differentiation

I have introduced a new strategy for differentiation in my teaching. I started by trialling it in maths and it has been a great success!

The children get to choose their own challenges: mild, medium, spicy and the ultimate chili bowl challenge! I started off by gently nudging them in the right direction, but to my surprise my class didn't really need the nudges. It always amazes me how, just by changing the name of a task or the way a task is presented, it can totally change how children take to it... I expected quite a few children to opt for the easier challenge, but they didn't! If anything more children took the trickier challenges. It was lovely to see so many children relishing a challenge! It has given the children a sense of ownership over their learning and they have more of an awareness of their own abilities.

I have now developed he idea further so that as part of the chili bowl challenge extension tasks, children can write their own problems or challenges linked with the learning intention of the lesson and put them into the trays for other children to have a go at!

How do you differentiate? What successes or challenges have you come across?

My Classroom!

It's that time again folks... the start of the summer holidays and I've been busy in my classroom preparing it for September. I really like coming in for a few days in the summer holidays when it is quiet and I can have fun making resources and displays. I found the idea for this door display on Pinterest (there are some really inspiring and creative ideas on there, check out my classroom "pinboard").

This is another gem I found on Pinterest initially and hunted down a blank printable version over at Teachernet. After a bit of a struggle getting my class to complete homework consistently last year, I thought I'd use this fun and exciting incentive this year. If a child brings in their homework for the week, they get to roll the dice and move their name around the Homeworkopoly board. They can win stickers, mystery prizes and opportunities to play games. Some of the "stops" on the board have a little challenge the children have to complete in order to win the prize. (I think I might be even more excited than my prospective class about this addition to my classroom!!)

 Learning Partners display and traffic lights

 When children make good contributions to classroom discussion, or work particularly hard, they can get their name on the "Superstar Board" and earn themselve team points.

 Beautiful Presentation reminder

 Cursive alphabet

 You can't quite see from this photo, but I have put numbers on each of the chairs. They have 1-30 on them on a variety of different animals. I am going to use these to build some maths and word problems into everyday classroom routines... e.g. "If your number is in the 3 x table join the line for lunch" etc

 Maths area

 This is my new targets display. The children have their targets on little rockets. Each time they meet their targets they get to move to the next planet and eventually end up on the Sun! My class really will be reaching for the stars! :) I just can't wait to get started... not that I'm willing away my summer holidays of course!