When a few students are struggling with a learning objective, how should a teacher handle the pacing of lessons?

The most effective approach when a few students are struggling with a learning objective is to consider the needs of the entire class, rather than maintaining the same pace even though many students are successful. While it's important to acknowledge that some students are performing well, the challenge arises when a portion of the class is not engaging with the material effectively.

By choosing to maintain the same pacing, a teacher can inadvertently leave those struggling students behind, potentially widening the learning gap. Effective pedagogy promotes inclusivity and ensures that every student has the appropriate opportunity to master the learning target. Educators often find that adjusting pacing to provide more time or alternative instructional strategies for challenging content helps all students to strengthen their understanding, rather than just those who initially found the material easy to grasp.

In many educational frameworks, differentiation—adapting teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of learners—is essential. Keeping the pacing constant only serves the majority and may not address the holistic learning needs of the classroom. Therefore, a more adaptive approach, even if it means slowing down to provide adequate support, leads to better outcomes for all students.