2 Chapter I planning a comprehension instructional sequence lesson…

Advantages to teaching mixed-ability classes

While the challenges and problems associated with mixed-ability classed may seem overwhelming, there are advantages to teaching and learning to manage these classes. Carol Ann Tomlinson, in her book, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, might have stated it best: “A secure teacher comes away from today with important questions to puzzle about overnight and the belief that today contains insights necessary for a more effective tomorrow.” ESL teachers are provided with plenty of opportunities in mixed-ability classes to further develop as teachers as they need to embrace different problem-solving approaches to help deal with difficulties faced in the classroom and also experiment with a wide range of teaching approaches to see what works best.

In addition to this, other advantages include the fact that from a mixed-ability class, the teacher can tap into different student experiences, knowledge, and ideas to give interesting student-centered lessons, and in these classes, students can help each other and, by extension, learn a lot from their fellow classmates