Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students

Rotation stations allow students to learn in a range of modalities, while making differentiation manageable for one teacher.
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Highlander Charter School, Lower School
GRADES PK - 6 | PROVIDENCE, RI
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[@sbodrillo]

Every kid in the world deserves a teacher like Miss Gallagher. Brilliant teacher!

[@aerinoleary6614]

I love this !

[@alexespinosa]

Teacher deserve more money! It is a lot of extra work after school to create these wonderful stations !

[@antoniocurryoldchannel9747]

I am a preschool teacher in a daycare and i believe in finding creative and innovative ways to provide a learning environment that allows the children to grow and learn at their own pace. This teacher is amazing

[@joemaryorag9692]

I used this as my teaching strategy. I called it Carousel Technique where students are assigned to do something by group and rotating untill each group completed the designed task in every learning station. This involves movement, performing specific tasks, forming concepts, manipulation of IMS, interactions, and creating new concepts out from the prior knwoledge. The involvement of the teacher is a must so that children will be guided on what to accomplish in every learning task/station.

[@belindabest_staff-connes1672]

Amazing Teacher with awesome classroom management, relationships, high expectations and engagement!

[@jenniferlewis4042]

I absolutely love this classroom! The teacher is engaging and has created a love for learning in her student's. An environment has been created in which no matter what their level is they are able to grow and thrive without feeling "less than" the other students. Well done!

[@nikkismith8595]

I love the concept of station rotations, it appeals to all different styles of learning and allows students to construct knowledge in ways that are most effective for them. Great video!

[@portiastrange8547]

As a fellow 1st grade teacher, I deeply appreciate this video. Centers are an exceptional way to differentiate instruction. She’s also very right in emphasizing how much time & preparation it takes. This is my 4th year teaching & I’ve always done guided reading. I began guided math this year & I’m NEVER looking back! If you’re a teacher reading this, read the book Guided Math in Action. I’d encourage you to make Guided Math a part of your curriculum in some way, shape, or form. Lastly, Seesaw is a great, free resources for center work as well!

[@dorendakelly3697]

Thank you for these recommendations!!

[@hrmo4730]

Thank u for these ideas. Can u explain more how to use seesaw for centers?

[@willowclay3137]

Every child deserves a good education and passionate educators like yourself!

[@yolandasifuentes6145]

I just love this video, the rotation station strategy and the thoughtfulness behind every aspect of this differentiation tool.

[@beatricebolger9824]

This is great I did not know that I used this method when I taught my children. This is very effective teaching love it.

[@BLANSTAR21]

My school has started to implement PLI (Personalized Learning Initiative), I believe that is what the acronym stands for. I am enjoying watching these videos. I'm learning a lot.

[@deelaw803]

This is a very real productive and fishing compassion professional teaching this allows a child and children whom are on different levels of Education to have a chance to feel as if they're really learning something and get a chance to learn something where they haven't could not understand how to learn it was lacking on some level of Education able to strengthen other sources of Education levels and I speak as a special ed student now 47 years of age I thank you for sharing this needed story

[@higgyrow]

Thanks Jennifer, fantastic video that has really helped me think about how I will set up my new classroom next term. Thanks for providing the detail, and I love the fact that you only have three stations and groups.

[@eefjekolkman3650]

Dit is een hele goede aanzet voor het nieuwe schooljaar. Hartelijk bedankt!

[@sydneylee2397]

I have worked in childcare and observed classroom's and this is a very common and effective strategy!

[@teachermade766]

This is what I did for my self contained behavioral classroom and it work wonders 😊

[@michaelverola9987]

I have taught grades Pre-K-3rd. I really thought this video was very helpful. Thank you!!

[@anupamashivgotra6082]

Every kid like teacher . This teacher is amazing

[@teresafish_staff-fuquayvar9155]

stations are a wonderful way to differentiate in the face to face model, I will work on adding it to my online teaching

[@cheriedeurope]

I am an English teacher in a secondary school from Europe. Our biggest problem is not the differentiation part, but the shortage of pedagogical staff. If you stand alone in front of 28 teenagers, most of whom would not listen to you but interrupt your words once every three seconds, you will feel desperate. At least I and my colleagues do really feel overloaded sometimes. We have also tried a lot of methods and are still trying. Some pupils or students don't even give you even a little bit of respect. It's so sad for our time.

[@maryhilado2357]

You're still lucky to have 28 learner's, mine is 50.

[@abigailknox-leet6949]

Cherie d'Europe I hear you I teach 45 kids ( one class) No teacher assistant. No space to move .....

[@cristinayanga5727]

Guys here in the Philippines the class size ranges from 70 to 80 students. We are dealing with students who just want to pass and get grades but doesn't want to work. All is teacher factor.

[@techtalkwithadammorgan8260]

I suggest you move to an andragogical model - self-directed, competency-based learning.

[@classmateeducare4682]

@@cristinayanga5727 Same situation here in India.

[@authenticjourneysconsultan9391]

This is one of the best videos I have seen on this topic. Thank you! ~Jennifer

[@blancajrodriguez]

Every teacher has the ability to be a great teacher when all students behave and follow instructions. Not always the case. I’m a special education teacher. This kids are the kids I wish my students were. And I wish I could be like this teacher but I get caught in frustration dealing with behaviors every. Single. Day.

[@Alyssaa948]

Also if you have less students! I am trying to figure out how to group 27-30 students in just an hour.. she said each station is 20 minutes but that isn't feasible with so many students, unless groups are bigger :(

[@ayeshaaamir6495]

simple and effective.... For me if I will conclude, Differentiation is must in today's' classroom. It is essential now...

[@JN-go2yq]

My favourite teaching video.

[@user-ig1pe1zx4w]

Thank you for sharing! It's a wonderful video!

[@classicalcasa]

Thanks for sharing this. Looks like a fantastic school!

[@ksedillo2233]

Love station learning

[@leslielopez8465]

Me encanto su video e aprendido mucho yo como usted me preocupo por buscar y dar mucho para que nuestros ninos sean el mejor futuro del manana .Gracias por compartir

[@Attenoj]

This video makes me want to work so much harder to help my students become high achieving scholars! #!teach🍎🍎🍎

[@dolled-upjen3606]

Sounds like a great teacher

[@laurabi2907]

I like this idea. I saw one of the schools is using this method too. But they have three teachers in one classroom, so basically one teacher can in charge of one station. For me, I’m teaching from reception to year 6, and I’m the only teacher in the classroom, it’s impossible for me to do different stations.

[@carolinekelly3415]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

[@crys4865]

I lead a stations activity with my high school students they really weren’t excited about it because they would rather a teacher lecture...However I saw excitement in some of the students...

[@VivianaCortes-wb5gd]

Well I am expected to differentiate in my class of 22 preschoolers, mixed ages 4 and 5 years old with two assistants that share a part-time role, and one of them is taken away from me constantly, so I am alone in the class most of the time. Oh, and I have a high achiever that really should have been moved to P1 but the school didn't want to promote the child. I am finding it very hard without the help of more staff.

[@ariesleorising9421]

I teach high school. They’re not as excited about learning as kids are at this age! I love them to pieces though! I loved this video. I want to do stations in my English class and came here for ideas.

[@ruthhnry]

It's easier to implement stations with language arts for high schools. Have fun!

[@annewithane9956]

Please, tell me how it went. I'm so eager to know for I'll be teaching English at hight school after one year.

[@annewithane9956]

@@ruthhnry Could you explain, please !

[@MaiMai-lr3mc]

Brilliant Teacher

[@NoliMeTangere1163]

This is an excellent method but it is so important to remember to differentiate your differentiating! Remember that no two classes are alike and while stations do work well for some classes, others are not prepared at the beginning of the year (and perhaps not by the end if it either) to handle the self-regulating of non-teacher-lead tasks. We tend to think in terms of "we must try only these newer methods". Our classrooms should all have stations and we should only use PBIS. Not so, these should simply be tools for your arsenal with classes for whom it is appropriate. For some classes, traditional learning is indeed, still the most productive method. No two children are alike, and likewise no two class chemistries are alike. We as teachers must be flexible and that might mean a year of stations followed by a year of grid.

[@Moonlvr555]

I agree with everything you stated, especially post Covid. Centers and rotations were especially difficult this year, as children need constant re-direction and teacher support and are lacking in social skills and self-management skills! This year it was mustard and pickle time, along with teacher time, as it was practically impossible to do traditional centers with my class of 19 boys, and 7 girls, needing constant support and re-direction. Even teacher time was challenging due to constant interruptions.

[@tiawilliams6187]

Awesome teacher ❤️

[@ruthhnry]

I love this. I just wish I can find content on how to implement this with my high school students. Every learning stations on youtube is mainly elementary. If its secondary, then it's only language arts. Any videos out there for 9 to 12 with social studies?

[@lopuyh]

Nice expository teaching .

[@valsammajacob2653]

Station Rotation is a very effective way of learning.

[@mdnur4544]

Awesome teacher

[@yaelrar.4460]

Differentiation is a tremendous amount of work. How are you supposed to find the time to differentiate every lesson every day? I have found over the years, its not realistically doable all the time although it looks and sounds easy.

[@tennillejohnston2566]

You don't have to create different lessons for every kid. Just build one lesson and then tweak it. A good example is how she switched from a venn diagram for the blue group to a T-chart for the yellow and green groups. You can also give students all the same text but at different lexile levels, and there are websites that will do this for you, like newsela.

[@deejay4183]

I'm wondering how when you have 164 kids in different grades.

[@mahalim210]

Excellent class

[@joykennethbiasong]

good video to watch

[@SumbulIrum-TCHRNNP-II]

It's a great strategy to motivate students to learn while also helping teacher to differentiate instructions. What if there is lack of digital resources? How can that be compensated?

[@believeinyourself8895]

This is great 👍😉

[@michelefrancis7086]

great video!

[@petejt]

This is fantastic. How can this be done at high school?

[@naturalista1017]

Amazing, very helpful

[@dem-ming3417]

I LOVE THIS.

[@umalinanayakkara7911]

What kind of student group mix does the teachers in the Video make?

[@saraazize4506]

This is brilliant! Since its 20 minutes for each station, do the kids need to finish the activity on the station before proceeding to the next station? Or do they proceed to next station regardless whether or not they finish their task?

[@j.marshellrobinson5275]

Not necessarily. The overall purpose of the stations is to practice the skill. You could have station binders where students can store unfinished practice.

[@NabilahHassan]

what a brilliant teacher and approaches. i just wondering, in order to do this, we have to have at least one teacher or each station right? means that for 1 lesson, the main teacher need 2 assistants?

[@fairviewhomestead]

No. One small group meets with teacher and the other stations are independent. Lots of modeling and practice to get it right.

[@halohellocj]

Love it!

[@amynkemtv9245]

I pray to give my kids the best education like this one

[@catereynolds116]

how much time is devoted to stations each day? Do you get interrupted during teacher time by kids at other stations being off task or unsure? How do you manage that?

[@JN-go2yq]

There is no way I can sit for that time at my teacher desk. Those kids must be really well trained.

[@viviz8679]

I like your video,,,

[@deesalmon9632]

Is this the Montessori method?

[@octaviadyers7163]

how do you handle a class with behavioral issues in such a setting?

[@Anonymousforest]

What about teachers who don’t have co teachers? This is very challenging to do when you’re alone

[@vanessabayardo9788]

It should work out if you have instrucional assistants. When you're the only adult there, and you have a group at a kidney table, and then you start hearing the other groups talk about their weekend, and you have to keep getting up to remind them to work quietly or talk quietly...

[@CathyHinkWA]

I am curious, when do you include independent reading or partner reading?

[@NataliePriester1]

Hi! I use station-rotation in my classroom. I create stations for independent reading and partner reading. I make a reading station, but I allow the students to spread out from one area. It becomes more of a reading zone. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

[@jaimegonzalez8479]

You can set an independent or partner reading group in any of your stations/rotations. You have the flexibility as a teacher to create the activity for each group.

[@xNCFOREVERx]

What is that website called that they use in that one station?

[@JN-go2yq]

Teach your monster to read was one of the app. So good.

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

Yes stations are great but at our public school , they end in second grade and then it’s just sit down for one while subject . They need to continue this method.

[@tennillejohnston2566]

Content-specific teachers can do stations too

[@imjhh6114]

What if they could not able to finish up station before they swich?

[@Stevo_Drums]

I’m designing stations now. It’s all about giving students small, meaningful chunks of work. If a station is scheduled to be 20 minutes long, give the student a 15-20 minute task.

[@lifelovejourney]

How do you prevent this from becoming tracking?

[@DisasterEXE]

I have a question for..anyone, really. In 1:44 we can see groups of students with different achievement levels. Would this be considered tracking? If so, are there more pros than cons in this practice?

[@samerrabadi]

When educators talk about tracking, it's usually in reference to the classes students are assigned to. What you're seeing in the video can be described as ability grouping or even differentiated instruction.

[@valentinaivanova7271]

I see that each station has one or two adults.... dDo you have some assistants? Because I have a group of 20 students and stations don't work because each station needs my supervision and I can't give it to all of them.

[@edutopia]

Unfortunately, the crew who filmed at the school isn't available to answer this question. However, looking at the footage, it appears that one of the "extra" adults is assigned to a specific students, and the other is either a paraprofessional, assistant teacher, or volunteer parent. We hope that helps!

[@suzysassi623]

It is gteat if you have one or two assistants or a NOT crowded class.

[@ShannonTBarge]

Was thinking the same thing. The rotation was clean, however. The planning for station rotation is tough but worth it.

[@user-pn1nl4vi1s]

[@magdielmendoza5327]

Soooooo... 4 teachers for 20 students?

[@TheGamersGuide819]

They are learning phonics? Wow

[@Basketlady1828]

Looks good, but what's so special about it? Isn't this simply an adaptation of the way everyone teaches? Each student gets exactly what they need to make themselves a life-long learner.