How Pear Deck Helps Me Differentiate Instruction and Support Every Student

As a high school science teacher, I'm always searching for innovative ways to engage my students and foster a deeper understanding of complex scientific concepts. This pursuit led me to discover Pear Deck, a tool part of Pear Deck Learning. 

Recently, I was honored to be one of the winners of the Back-to-School 2024 Pear Deck Usage Contest, highlighting how essential Pear Deck has become in my classroom and how it has grown into an indispensable daily tool. Years of utilizing Pear Deck have given me some key insights into leveraging this technology to support student learning, and I'm eager to share those insights with other educators. 

Bringing Pear Deck into my classroom

I first came across Pear Deck during a professional development session with our county technology specialist. At that time, I had never heard of Pear Deck or anything like it, and I wasn’t excited about learning yet another tech tool for my classroom. In fact, I wasn’t enthusiastic about this training at all. But as the tech specialist started showing us the interactive features, I found myself intrigued and, to my surprise, genuinely interested. The idea of making my lessons more engaging and student-centered immediately struck a chord with me.

That initial spark led me to begin experimenting with Pear Deck in my classroom. I started small, introducing interactive questions into my daily lessons. The first thing I tried was simple Checks for Understanding, like multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Immediately,students were actively participating, sharing their thoughts, and even correcting each other’s answers. This early success gave me the confidence to integrate Pear Deck even more into my teaching.

Impact on student learning

Since introducing Pear Deck into my classroom, the impact has been remarkable. Students who once passively observed are now actively participating. For example, in a recent lesson on the characteristics of life in biology class, my students eagerly engaged with real-time polls and formative assessments through Pear Deck. But in every class, there’s always that one student who struggles with participation and feels anxious when put on the spot. During this lesson, that student stayed actively engaged and shared their knowledge through thoughtful responses while using the Pear Deck. 

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The anonymity of the platform seemed to empower this student to share their ideas and ask clarifying questions without fear of judgment. That’s what makes this such a powerful tool in the classroom. Pear Deck gives every student a voice, creating an environment where all can learn, grow, and enjoy the process.

Additionally, Pear Deck has also improved my teaching structure. This immediate feedback loop of using a Pear Deck for a lesson allows me to address misconceptions instantly, ensuring everyone is on the same page before moving forward.

The student response has been overwhelmingly positive. My students are eager to jump into Pear Deck, whether we are introducing new material or reviewing previous content. It’s become a routine in my classroom that fosters student empowerment and encourages active participation throughout every phase of our learning journey.

Differentiating instruction with Pear Deck

Pear Deck has become my secret weapon for differentiation. Here are some of the top ways I use Pear Deck to help support my ability to differentiate for the vast needs of my students: 

• Accessing pre-made lesson templates and building custom lessons: I leverage the Content Orchard for a wealth of ready-to-use, standards-aligned lesson templates. These provide a fantastic starting point, allowing me to easily customize activities to fit my specific student needs. With Instant Pear Decks, I can effortlessly create new, standards-aligned lessons without spending excessive time building presentations from scratch.
  
  
• Meeting individual needs: I often use Pear Deck to create tiered activities. For example, during a photosynthesis unit, advanced students tackled complex data analysis, while those needing more support received scaffolded questions and graphic organizers to guide their learning.
  
  
• Providing timely support: Pear Deck's real-time data allows me to quickly identify students who are struggling. I can then provide personalized feedback, offer extra support, or re-teach specific concepts to small groups.

Outcomes and reflections of a teacher using Pear Deck everyday 

This journey with Pear Deck has taught me the immense power of differentiated learning. It's not just about making lessons "fun"; it's about creating a truly equitable classroom where every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed at their own pace.

Pear Deck has not only transformed my teaching practice but also reignited my passion for education. I'm excited to continue exploring new ways to leverage this incredible tool to create engaging and effective learning experiences for all my students.

Expanding the impact with Pear Deck Learning Platform 

Pear Deck will be part of the Pear Deck Learning Platform, launching for back-to-school 2025-26. This all-in-one platform is designed to support teachers at every stage of the instructional process. With real-time, in-context data, educators will gain actionable insights that help differentiate instruction and tailor support to individual student needs, ultimately enhancing student performance. Streamlined tools for lesson planning, delivery, and assessment will save teachers valuable time, enabling them to focus on crafting personalized, impactful instruction. This will foster engaging, inclusive learning experiences that improve student outcomes.

About the author

Christy Hall is a high school science teacher at Alexander County Schools in Taylorsville, NC. Recently honored with the BTS 2024 Pear Deck Usage Contest award, Christy’s innovative approach to teaching has earned recognition for its positive impact on student learning. With a passion for fostering deeper student understanding and engagement, she leverages tools like Pear Deck to create dynamic, student-centered lessons. Christy has been teaching for 21 years and continues to explore new ways to support her students' success.