As a father of two, differentiation is important to me. My son struggles with school. At times he needs some extra help or some extra time. At the same time, my daughter is in advanced math and earns all A's. When I design my classroom and my lessons, I try to keep both of them in mind to create opportunities for all of my students to be challenged and successful.
I utilize Frayer models for vocabulary. They are also outstanding for differentiation. Students who may struggle with the entire assignment, can choose to only fill out two of the four boxes. Then as they add stamina, I push them to do more. Also, the picture portion of the Frayer models allow for some great creativity.
Socratic Seminars often give students who may struggle with reading and writing an opportunity to express their knowledge. At both Brooklyn Middle School and Maple Grove Middle School, I saw students excel who typically struggle with traditional assessments.
Differentiation for students who excel is also important. Choice boards provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves in new ways. I often push students to dive deep into a subject about which they are passionate. I have even had students teach the class based on their research.