Do you want to design lessons that allow you to work with small groups but worry about keeping the rest of the class on task?

Even the most experienced teachers find themselves teaching “that one class” that needs extra support and structure when implementing the station rotation model. As a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and now site administrator, I have curated several easy-to-implement tips to help teachers effectively implement and manage the station rotation model with even the most energetic classes.

Assigned Seats at Student-Led Stations

As a teacher, I always had seating charts for whole-group instruction. I looked at skill level, behavior, personality types, IEPs, and chronic absenteeism to determine the best place for my students to sit in the classroom. Seating charts help create an effective and positive learning environment and foster student collaboration. When I started implementing the station rotation model, I wanted to ensure that I could maintain that same atmosphere of engagement, focus, self-management, and respectful interactions at the student-led independent and collaborative stations.

I used various grouping strategies depending on the purpose of my station rotation, such as student skill level, interests, and strength in a group dynamic. But for those classes that needed extra structure during station rotation, I found assigning seats and strategically seating students in groups was equally important. By doing so, I could focus better on my work at the teacher-led station, and the student-led stations ran more smoothly.