UDL

I think the part of UDL that most informed and transformed my teaching to this point has been the emphasis on using assessment to inform instruction.  Previously, I had put a lot of thought, time and effort in creative lessons that aligned with state standards.  I taught my lesson, kept students engaged, hoped they learned the content, assessed and usually moved on if a majority were getting it.  What what about the minority?  The students who weren't getting it.  Honestly, usually I just hoped they'd jump on board at some point or that another teacher some other year would be able to communicate to them more effectively.

The idea that content being taught should be guided by my classroom assessments- by how students were performing- changed everything.  It also brings a whole new set of challenges like how to assess fairly and consistently and how to meet individual learner needs when the valid assessment yields results that show lack of understanding.  I would still like to have more training and practice in the assessment for teaching process.