Design Station Rotations

Station rotation empowers learners to rotate through different stations or learning activities, each designed to meet their individual needs and learning styles. Ideally, stations include a variety of learning settings: independent, collaborative, and teacher-led (responsive and tailored to the strengths and needs of the group).

Learners can rotate through stations in a specific order and at specific time intervals or the stations can be set up for learners to rotate at their own pace and based on their needs. In order to have success, learners should be familiar with different activities, routines and protocols for each activity, ideally having practiced them before, and will have clear visuals and instructions on how to complete each station and where to go for help. Groups and activities can be made from formative assessment data to support learners to get exactly what they need when they need it.

Bright Spots

Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners.

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Two-Station Rotation

At Mona Elementary School in Utah, students work through a 2-station rotation. One station is independent work, and the other is small-group targeted instruction with the teacher.

Station Grouping Using Formative Data

Jamie Thomas at Rochester Middle School in New Hampshire, leads small-group instruction as a station. Station groups are formed using formative data from the previous day’s exit ticket, so groups are re-formed each day. In her small group, she re-teaches or extends as needed. Meanwhile, the other two student groups work through an independent station leveraging adaptive math software and at the collaborative station, learners work together to spot errors and correct them in more complex math problems.

Teacher-Led Stations

Photo source: https://twitter.com/GHSDrAllen/status/1199338646891044864

Glasgow High School students practice their grammar in Spanish class through a station rotation. The teacher-led station is intentionally flexible, designed only for students to pose questions and get formative feedback.

Station Rotation Model with Short Blocks

In this FAQ, Catlin Tucker shares answers to frequently asked questions about the station rotation model, including how to fit the approach into secondary classes that have short class periods. In this approach, each day students rotate through a station until they have completed the rotation, having time for reflection at the end of the week.

Station Task Templates

Using template slides can help you organize your stations and be clear with students about expectations and where to look for information. This teacher utilizes four different types of stations including an online station, an offline station, a teacher-led station and an individual station for each of their station rotation-based lessons.

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