Meet Your Students Where They Are
Think about the range of students who come into your course.
Some have more background. Some have less. Some are ready to run. Others are still learning to walk.
How does your structure account for that? Where does your path serve some and lose others?
Here's the truth most course creators don't want to hear: It's your job to meet your students where they are—not where you wish they were.
And if your course only works for one type of student at one level of readiness, you're going to lose people. Not because they're not capable. Not because your content isn't valuable. But because you didn't design for the reality of who's actually in the room.
First: Set Expectations for Who This Is For (And Who It's Not)
Before anyone even enrolls in your course, you need to get clear on one thing:
Who is this course for? And who is it NOT for?
Without that clarity, students won't be able to self-select. They can't say "YES, this is for me" or "No, I need something else" if you haven't told them what they're signing up for.
This isn't about gatekeeping. It's about being honest.
If your course is designed for people who already understand the basics and are ready to apply advanced strategies, say that. If it's built for complete beginners who need foundational support, say that too.
Here's what happens when you don't set expectations:
Students enroll thinking the course is for them. Then they get inside and realize they're either way ahead of everyone else (and bored) or way behind (and lost). Either way, they drop off.
They blame themselves: "I'm not smart enough" or "This isn't working for me."
But the real problem? You didn't help them self-select before they started.
Set expectations upfront.
Tell them what they need to know before they begin. Tell them what level of experience this course assumes. Tell them what outcomes are realistic based on where they're starting.
Give them the information they need to say "Yes, this is for me" or "Not yet—I need to build X first."
That clarity protects both of you.
Once They're In: Lay the Groundwork
Okay, so you've set expectations. Students have self-selected. They're in your program.
Now what?
You need to get everyone on the same page.
Even if students are at different levels, they all need a shared foundation—common language, shared experiences, baseline understandings—before you can differentiate effectively.
This is the groundwork. The level-setting. The "here's what we all need to know before we move forward."
In my middle school science classroom, this looked like:
Before I could teach advanced concepts like cellular respiration or genetics, I needed to make sure every student understood: What is a cell? What are the basic parts? What does "function" mean in a biological context?
I didn't assume they all came in knowing this. I taught it. I gave them the language. I created shared experiences (labs, diagrams, discussions) so that when I said "mitochondria," everyone had the same mental image.
That's the groundwork.
And the same is true for your online course.
If you're teaching business strategy, you might need to define terms like "ideal client," "value proposition," or "revenue model" before you dive into advanced tactics. Because if half your students don't know what those terms mean, they'll be lost before you even begin.
Get everyone on the same page first. Then you can differentiate.
Differentiation: It's Not Just Learning Styles—It's Levels
Here's where most course creators stop. They set expectations, they lay the groundwork, and then they teach one path forward.
But here's what they're missing: Not all students are at the same level, even after the groundwork.
Some students grasp concepts quickly and are ready to apply them immediately. Others need more time, more examples, more practice before they're ready to move forward.
This is where differentiation comes in.
And I'm not just talking about learning styles (visual vs. auditory vs. kinesthetic). I'm talking about levels of readiness.
You need to be able to differentiate your teaching to fit the needs of your students—not just how they learn, but where they are in their journey.
Here's what this looks like in practice:
Let's say you're teaching someone to create a marketing plan.
Student A has been in business for 5 years. They understand their ideal client, they've tested messaging, they know what works. They just need help organizing it into a strategic plan.
Student B is brand new. They've never written a marketing plan before. They're not even sure who their ideal client is yet.
If you teach them both the same way, at the same pace, with the same expectations—one of them is going to struggle.
But if you differentiate:
Student A gets a framework and templates to organize what they already know. They move quickly through the foundational lessons because they don't need them. They focus on strategy and refinement.
Student B gets step-by-step guidance on identifying their ideal client first. They need more examples, more practice, more scaffolding before they're ready to build a full plan.
Same destination. Different paths.
That's differentiation.
Creating Parallel Paths to the Same Place
Here's the key: It's not about creating different outcomes.
Both students are working toward the same goal—a complete, strategic marketing plan. But they're getting there via different paths based on where they're starting.
This is what I mean by parallel paths.
You're not lowering the bar for some students and raising it for others. You're not creating different tiers of success. You're helping every student reach the same destination by meeting them where they are and giving them what they need to get there.
In my teaching, this looked like:
When I taught about cells, every student needed to be able to:
Identify the parts of a cell
Explain what each part does
Understand how those parts work together
Same learning objectives for everyone.
But how students got there was different:
Some students needed visual diagrams and videos
Some needed hands-on models they could manipulate
Some needed real-world analogies (the cell is like a factory, the nucleus is like the CEO)
Some needed step-by-step written instructions
Same destination. Parallel paths.
That's what it means to meet students where they are.
Your Turn: Design for Differentiation
Here's what I want you to do:
Step 1: Look at your course. Who is it for? Who is it NOT for?
Write down your "who this is for" statement. Be specific. What level of readiness does your course assume? What do students need to know or have done before they start?
Step 2: Identify where students at different levels might need different paths.
Are there places in your course where some students will move quickly and others will need more support? Where can you build in optional scaffolding, additional examples, or advanced applications?
Step 3: Ask yourself: Am I creating parallel paths to the same place?
Are all students working toward the same outcomes, just via different routes based on their readiness? Or am I accidentally creating a course that only works for one type of student?
Reply and tell me: Where in your course do students need differentiation? What changes when you design parallel paths instead of one rigid path forward?
This is what it means to meet students where they are. Not where you wish they were. Not where it's easiest for you to teach them. But where they actually are.
And when you do that? Students finish. Students transform. Students succeed.
Because you built a course that was designed for the reality of who's in the room—not just the ideal student you imagined.
Ready to build your course or program with clarity from the start? Book a Strategy Session and let's map your message, your audience, and your boundaries together.
Or if you're just exploring how to bring your expertise online, book free Office Hours to talk through where to begin.
