Differentiation & classroom management

This seemed to be Ms. Crabapple's primary classroom management strategy.
(photo courtesy of carnagerules.wordpress.com)

When I think back on my educational life, a big difference I notice between what I experienced and what we're learning in class is transparency. Blaz Ch. 2 talks about explaining differentiation to students after handing out a "cultural capital" survey. While there were times for me to share who I was in high school in various ways, I don't remember it being a formal part of the lesson, occupying a place that would hold great value. Something I feel that I've learned from the readings this week is that the partnership between students and teachers is a microcosm, and that partnership needs to be present in the "small stuff" of daily classroom life to be felt as genuine and authentic. Relationship seems to be at the center of differentiation.

Importantly, part of honoring that relationship with students is being prepared with meaningful lessons. I really enjoyed watching the class period with teacher Tyler Hester. After watching, I looked up his corresponding blog post, Tyler Hester's 7 tips for better classroom management, which are as follows:
1. Love your students
2. Assume the best in your students
3. Praise what and when you can
4. DO sweat the small stuff
5. Identify yourself
6. Forge a class identity
7. Have a plan

This list of tips points out the balance for teachers as we strive to always keep students at the center of our work. Students need to know that they are respected, loved, and trusted to achieve their full potential. To do so, we need to create structures in which they understand what is being asked of them, and feel safe in taking risks. I was fascinated by the tight grip Tyler kept on whispering in his classroom. "Isn't that overkill?!" I thought to myself. But as I read through these points, he talks about "sweating the small stuff" as the way to really create a world for students -- a world that is specific to my classroom, but also translates into real-world skills students will need, like the ability to turn on a laser-like focus to the task at hand. Tyler scaffolds his students all the way in that high expectation he holds for them. He is constantly reminding, encouraging, and not negative or mean in his responses to error. He has planned every part of his lesson down to the minute, and his students are co-creators of those moments -- watching the timer and self-regulating, participating in the structured turn-and-talk, but ready to come back when called. It's amazing to see.

Watching Tyler's class makes me think of the classrooms I have seen get out of control. I wonder what this teacher does if chaos erupts -- or has he never lost control in that way? I wonder, with a caseload of 150 students, is it possible to differentiate and meticulously plan from Day 1 so that my classroom never hits the point of chaos? And if not, how do I help restore the structure that gets lost a little every time chaos erupts?