Fozia Temam Mohammed is an English language teacher based in Hawassa (Ethiopia). With nearly two decades of experience in the field, Fozia has dedicated her career to fostering English language skills. In addition to teaching, she serves as a mentor, coach, and trainer in early grade education. Currently, Fozia is a lecturer at Hawassa University and a PhD candidate. She is passionate about the importance of a strong early foundation for achieving academic success.
Key Takeaways from Fozia about UDL and DI
Fozia led an engaging discussion on Friday 20 September for the English Connects Telegram Community of Practice for teachers in SSA focusing on the practical aspects of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI). Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Understanding learner diversity: Recognising the diverse needs, abilities, and learning styles of students is essential for creating an inclusive classroom environment. Both DI and UDL provide frameworks that help teachers tailor their instruction to meet these varied needs.
- Flexible approaches to teaching: Implementing DI allows teachers to offer multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression. This flexibility encourages students to engage with the material in ways that resonate with them, fostering greater motivation and understanding.
- Creating accessible learning environments: UDL emphasizes the importance of designing lessons and assessments that are accessible to all learners from the outset. This proactive approach minimizes barriers to learning and promotes success for every learner, regardless of their background or ability.
- Continuous assessment and feedback: Employing ongoing formative assessments helps teachers identify individual learner needs and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly. Feedback should be constructive and supportive, guiding learners towards improvement.
- Collaboration and community building: Encouraging peer collaboration and creating a supportive classroom community enhances social learning. Learners benefit from working together, sharing different perspectives, and learning from one another.
Tips for Fellow Teachers
- Start small: If you’re new to DI and UDL, begin by incorporating one or two strategies at a time into your lessons. Gradually build your toolkit as you become more comfortable with these approaches.
- Know your students: Take the time to learn about your students’ individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests. This knowledge will empower you to create personalized learning experiences that resonate with them.
- Encourage student voice and choice: Giving students options in how they learn and demonstrate understanding can significantly increase their engagement and ownership of their education.
- Embrace flexibility: Be open to adjusting your lesson plans based on the needs and feedback of your students. Flexibility is key to effectively implementing DI and UDL strategies.
- Collaborate with colleagues: Share ideas and resources with fellow educators. Collaboration can inspire new approaches and enhance your teaching practice as you learn from one another.
Last but not least, dear fellow colleagues, we are aware that in Sub-Saharan Africa, we face numerous challenges, such as limited time, large class sizes, and a lack of technological resources. However, it is essential for us to shift our perspective. Instead of focusing on the myriad reasons that prevent us from meeting our students' needs, let us concentrate on what we can do to break free from this cycle of challenges and perceived impossibilities.We should start small and celebrate every success we achieve, no matter how minor it may seem. This is how meaningful change occurs. By taking proactive steps and recognizing our progress, we can create a more effective and empowering learning environment for our students.
If you are curious about how to adopt UDL and DI in your teaching approach, you can find six short videos on TeachingEnglish to help you understand how to focus on differentiation in your teaching.
In this video series, you will look at practical strategies to:
- get to know all the differences and strengths of their learners.
- encourage a ‘growth mindset’ in all groups; mistakes can help us learn.
- use pair and group work to encourage differentiation-friendly learning.
- get more and better answers to all questions in teacher-led activities.
- make changes to reading or listening tasks to add challenge or support.
- plan for and encourage learners to speak and write at different levels.
