How Do You Meet The Wide Range Of Skills And Needs Commonly Present In A Non-ability Grouped Classroom?

Get into their shoes, try to think like them. Not what you think they think. Lower barriers to a level that does not lower your esteem in their eyes. Everyone has a interest. Every group has a common interest. Identify it and use it to lead them along a path decided by you, towards a goal defined by you.
Above all, treat them with immense respect.
I was associated with legally - socially challenged teenagers ( conceited no good bums with attitudes ). I treated them like gentlemen, and by God , my classes were like The Convocation Hall of Queen Elizabeth complete with Sirs, ornate language, the works. I still remember and respect every one of them, for what they had inside them..

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Teaching mixed ability classes is never easy. With a larger class, a lot of group work may be a good idea. Up to a point you can mix up the abilities in these groups, getting the more advanced or confident learners to help the slower ones. However, it's not fair on the faster learners to do this all the time - some group work should be "streamed" with more difficult tasks for the more able. You also need to have some individual projects which students can work on alone at their own pace (with extra tasks for those who finish early.)

Even in a very mixed class, you want a sense of unity too - so I wouldn't neglect whole group activities like (in a language class) drills, or repetitive oral work of any kind - testing them on mnemonics or whatever. Team games are good too, especially if you discreetly arrange the teams so the abilities are fairly balanced.

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