Have you ever observed a bustling classroom where students possess an almost tangible excitement and energy? What did it look like? Sound like? Feel like? Seeing learning take place is nothing short of magical. The powerful energy resulting from learning can be seen, heard, and felt. What if learning is not taking place? Can you see it? Hear it? Feel it? The students who fill your future classroom will come with strengths, talents, and needs, varying from student to student. As a result, it is important for teachers to be in touch with each student and recognize when they are thriving and struggling.

Just as differences exist among individuals, differences exist within an individual, often referred to as intraindividual differences. Unlike interindividual differences, which compare one child to another, intraindividual differences compare “the child’s abilities in one area with the child’s abilities in other areas” (Britannica). Often, these differences alert teachers to students who may be at risk and need additional support. Students who struggle often exhibit signs that may not appear as red flags. These common signs, though, may indicate that a student needs extra support. When these struggles become frequent and consistent over time, teachers may need to take steps toward disability eligibility.

Students who may need extra support may:

• Lack motivation
• Become easily frustrated
• Frequently make careless errors
• Have difficulty following directions
• Not complete work or homework
• Face challenges remembering or retaining learned skills
• Struggle with basic reading, writing, math, or spelling skills

These intraindividual differences represent unique patterns of strengths and needs. To better understand how intraindividual differences appear in a student, let’s return to our students from Module 1: Laws, Ethics, and Policies.

All students in these three examples bring individual strengths to their education, and they also have academic needs and could benefit from additional support to address those needs. In these scenarios, a teacher’s knowledge of their students’ intraindividual differences (e.g., strengths and needs) supports optimal lesson planning, allowing the teacher to meet a student’s unique learning needs. Understanding and addressing the intraindividual differences of each student results in maximized student learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a proactive rather than reactive approach to teaching best illustrates the importance of intraindividual differences. UDL accommodates the unique needs and abilities of all learners while eliminating unnecessary hurdles in the learning process. Knowing each of your students well helps you identify learning or behavioral needs early and implement proper interventions.