Differentiating means doing it differently?

So this week was a very fun one for me. I got to teach two classes back to back, third and fourth block,which was an experience. Anyone who knows anything about middle schoolers know that the lesson never goes the exact same way twice, but it went well both times. The classes are very different and third block didn't want to talk much but then again, they never really do. They require more leading to get to a conclusion or answer while fourth block gets to the conclusion or answer before I can even start the question. This made me think about differentiation and what  that word actually means because the meaning changes dramatically when you teach the same lesson twice. I had planned just to teach third and she asked me the day before if I wanted to teach fourth as well and of course I agreed. So, I went home and thought of ways I could change the lesson so that when I taught it to fourth it would better suit the personality of the class and the skill level of the students. I did some things differently with them to better fit with their work speed and our discussion was deeper because of the questions from the students. What I realized though, after I taught the lesson to both classes is that while I anticipated the discussion fourth would have and how much they would get into what we did, I forgot that third would not respond in the same manner. I watch my CE teach the two classes at least twice a week and I knew that there were significant differences in their skill level and personality and I differentiated in my lesson but not quite enough. I had never experienced teaching two totally different classes back to back and it really made me think about future lessons and what I will differently with third to get them into the same depth of conversation that fourth was able to get into.

This is where I find myself as I go forward with my preparation to be a teacher. Classes will be different and they won't enjoy the same things and that is okay. It is just important to remember that there are things that can be done to engage the classes on the same level, even though those things may be completely different. I just want third block to have the same enthusiasm as fourth and while they may never have it, I think there are things I can do differently for them that will at least raise the excitement level a little bit. Is that not the goal of differentiation after all? To get each class and each student engaged in the material in a way that requires them to make connections and learn in a way that is meaningful to them.