Student Teaching Reflection 2

Since I am still not in a classroom yet, this week I have been thinking about how the concepts my class discussed last week may be applied in the future. Specifically, I have been trying to think of how I would apply extension activities in my future general education classroom, and how I can differentiate for students that are ahead as well as students that are not. Having extra extension activities already planned can be really valuable to help enrich the learning of students who finish their work early or get bored with general class material. If I have extension activities that bring in different real-world concepts or revolve around different topics, it can pique the interest of students and continue to engage them once they've finished the main activity. Having multiple extensions like this will cater to students with varying interests. However, it would be important to make sure that extensions push students further rather than just provide "busy-work." This level of planning will help to differentiate in class lessons for students who are working faster than the class average. For other students, these extension activities can still be valuable. If they don't have a chance to finish in class, I can give them the option of taking them home and completing the ones they find interesting. Since they will involve different topics, students will engage more and connect with material that they can relate to. Once I get to know my class, I can even create activities that relate concepts specifically to their interests. Extension activities can be a very valuable part of lesson planning, both for engagement and differentiation.