Differentiated instruction is a unique method of approaching the numerous and ever increasing variety of needs of students in the classroom. Differentiated Instruction can be used in any classroom setting from the earliest learners in pre-school and kindergarten all the way up through adult learners. Differentiated instruction can also be applied to a variety of other settings outside of the classroom including non-profit organizations, hospitals, and any other environment where there are learners and teachers both in the traditional and non-traditional sense.
             The purpose of differentiated instruction is to meet students at their current level of learning and finding ways to help them grow, instead of approaching the group with the mindset that all students are processing and understanding the information at the same level in the same way. While differentiated instruction is a fantastic way to meet student needs, it is a method which is time consuming, challenging and not without its problems.
             Continued professional development is the key to ensuring that teachers are well prepared for meeting the needs of their students. Depending on the work environment, some organizations may provide opportunities for continued professional development particularly in the aspect of differentiated instruction. One study also found that it is not just the teachers who can benefit from continued development in differentiated instruction, but school bored members can also benefit. The study reported "from the response from the 26 responding state directors, the study found that most states do not require professional development for school board members. State board directors did feel that school board professional development had a positive effect on student achievement" (Roberts & Sampson, 2011). As the study stated, although most don't provide or require professional development, they do feel that it would be beneficial if they...