Strategic Framework: Student-Driven Differentiation
In a mixed-level classroom, my role shifts from a 'Sage on the Stage' to a 'Guide on the Side.' I create the framework, provide the tools, and let each student's curiosity drive their pace. This is where true student-centered learning happens.
The Teacher-Led Station
Small Group Instruction. Prioritizing high-value connection through Teacher-led Stations. In this space, I provide targeted coaching and small-group instruction, allowing me to adjust the academic rigor for 6th-grade beginners to 12th-grade native speakers.
The Flipped Learning Hub
Empowering students through Flipped Learning. By providing information transfer via video, students gain control over the pace at which they process new linguistic concepts, allowing them to pause, rewind, and rewatch as needed.
The Choice Board
Fostering Student Agency through standards aligned Choice Boards. Students are given 'voice and choice' over their learning path and product, selecting text, audio, or visual that best allows them to demonstrate their mastery.
Student Portfolios
Portfolios allow for the collection of formative assessment data, helping both the teacher and student track progress toward specific learning objectives.
The Offline Collaboration Station
Balancing the digital with the tactile in Offline Stations. These collaborative tasks encourage peer-to-peer conversation and social-emotional growth, ensuring a healthy break from the screen while deepening cultural connections.
Advanced Literacy & Literary Analysis
In my classroom, native speakers are not just "helpers"; they are scholars engaged in rigorous academic inquiry. Native speakers engage with authentic texts, such as classical Chinese literature, contemporary editorials, and philosophical essays, to drive higher-order thinking.