Just Keep Swimming

Rejection. It's got to be one of the worst feelings in the world. Whether it's from a group a friends, potential significant other or a job. Rejection hurts. Some of us are better at hiding this feeling than others. Some of us need to talk it with a friend while others keep it bottled up in side. Sometimes it only take a few minutes to get over rejection, while for others it take days, weeks or even years.The worst type of rejection is when someone says that you are awesome, amazing, impressive (insert other uplifting adjectives), but then you get a phone call saying you were not impressive enough or amazing enough. It is tough not to get down on oneself and ball up in a minor state of depression or trying to get everyone to feel sorry for you, but in the end you have to preserver, learn from the experience and push on.

A quality that I have learned to use is finding the good in people and the situation not matter how bad it may be. Sometimes it is difficult to look on the bright side and think positive. After being rejected from what it seems like a million jobs, even though it's only closer to 7, I feel like I become better and more prepared at interviews and have almost no trouble with any question based off of my knowledge and experience. It's having a school find me a good fit for them and that's something you cannot control. I'm going to be a good fit somewhere, I just don't know where that place will be.

There was one question where I got stumped though, and it would really hurt if I knew that this was the deciding factor, because it was based off of knowledge and pedagogy, rather than experience. The worst is that it was about differentiation, which I know so much about because of the schools I have been placed at, but didn't know there were specific components of differentiation. I just knew when I had to differentiate and how I was going to do it. Once I heard the interviewer say the components I was able to explain how I have done each one of them in the classroom.  I found some good websites, so that if this question comes up I will be prepared, but I'm also going to summarize a bit based off it too. The more I write/type things the better I learn them!

http://sussex.de.schoolwebpages.com/education/projects/projects.php?sectionid=396
http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/lwickersham/greatexplanations/pbl/differentiated.html

The Components of Differentiated Instruction

1. Content
2. Process
3. Product
4. Environment
  (some people don't consider environment as a component)

Content: the 'WHAT' of teaching
  Example: Historical Fiction study - provide a selection of books that reflect a variety of reading levels and match students with an appropriate book or group books and let students choose from the collection

Process: the 'HOW' of teaching
 The content is the same, the same learning objective is achieved but the way that students are able to learn or process the information is different.
  Example: Culture study – students compare & contrast two versions of Cinderella from different cultures. Students can draw pictures of similarities and differences (visual learners), discuss and prepare an oral presentation (auditory learners) or create 30 seconds reenactments representing similarities & differences (kinesthetic learners). At the end of the time, all groups share their ideas.
 
Product: 'the 'SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW' of learning
  Example: Power Unit: Students may plan a debate or speech, present a multimedia presentation, write a report or perform a role play depicting specific events to demonstrate their understanding

Environment: the 'WHERE' of learning