Enacting Differentiation in the Teacher Education Classroom

Enacting Differentiation in the Teacher Education Classroom: Practical Strategies for Modeling and Reflection explores the vital role of Differentiated Instruction (DI) in teacher education programs, offering practical strategies for integrating DI into courses across the program. It provides actionable tools and strategies for preparing future educators to meet the diverse needs of all students through engagement with and reflection on inclusive teaching practices.

Grounded in the understanding that preservice teachers need to see classroom instructional practices explicitly modeled, Sarah E. Pennington demonstrates how differentiation can be woven into teacher preparation programs in purposeful, authentic ways. By engaging with examples, strategies, and guided reflections, teacher educators can better prepare future teachers to respond to the diverse needs of all learners.

This book recognizes the challenges of teaching DI in higher education settings and offers practical, ready-to-use tools that can be applied across different content areas and program structures. Through a balance of theory, practice, and reflection, it supports teacher educators in both their individual courses and their broader programmatic efforts to foster inclusive teaching practices.

Main Features of this Book:
Reflection questions at the end of each chapter for both teacher educators and preservice teachers
Strategies and tools for enacting differentiation within four basic areas: environment, content, process, and product
Strategies and tools for pre-assessment to help plan for differentiation
Ideas for strengthening faculty expertise and building program-wide capacity in implementing differentiated instruction

This book is designed for teacher educators, program leaders, and professional development providers who want to:
Intentionally model differentiation in their own courses
Guide preservice teachers to critically reflect on inclusive teaching practices
Create alignment across teacher preparation programs around DI
Support faculty collaboration and professional growth in implementing equitable instruction

Author Biography

Sarah E. Pennington is an associate professor in education at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. Her teaching experience spans K-12 public schools, private colleges, and large public universities. Her research interests include middle grades education, teacher education, and adolescent literacy motivation.