At the beginning of the year, I like to introduce my students to the concept of differentiation. I don't go into lengthy complex details, but instead I like to talk about how each of us have different needs. I do this because sometimes there will be times throughout the year that students may notice that some students are doing something different than others. If I teach at the beginning of the year that we are all different, unique, and have different needs - it helps us down the road.
One way that I do this is through my glyph activity. Together we create paper people based on our likes and dislikes. For instance, students color their shoes based on how they feel their learn best - seeing it, hearing it, or moving around/touching it.
Once we have all created our people, we discuss how even in this activity where our choices are limited, we are still all different. It allows for us to see just how different each of us are. The students enjoy the activity, it's a great ice breaker, and it's a great way to kick off the understanding of diversity.
You can read more about it over at my blog by clicking here or head straight to my Teachers Pay Teachers store and download it free here.
Have a great week!