Whenever I see a track, I go straight to glory days. Legit – my sister and I tried to relive our competitive hurdling days recently (spoiler alert: it didn’t go well). The reason I loved track and field so much was because it really played to my strengths while also giving me the chance to hang with so many incredible athletes who were completely different from me. I mean, once the shot putters even lifted the coach’s car to move it across the parking lot. Come on, hurdlers don’t have that kind of skill!!
If you think of a track team, it’s made up of athletes with all sorts of different skills—long-distance runners, sprinters, javelin throwers, high-jumpers. To train, the coaches rotated us through weight rooms and specialized drills, offering support tailored to our events (300 meter hurdles, baby!). While we all shared some of the same experiences, each of us got personalized guidance to meet our own goals.
In much the same way, a station-rotation model in the classroom works. Students build core skills together at different stations but also get focused coaching to help them shine in their own unique ways. The result? A classroom buzzing with energy and purpose, where engagement soars and every student gets their moment to break through their personal best.
Research consistently shows the value of targeted instruction, but it's hard to find a way to pull small groups when your class is designed using more traditional models.
John Hattie, a leading voice in education research, highlights explicit instruction as an effective teaching strategy, with an effect size of 0.57—well above the hinge point of 0.4, which represents a year’s worth of growth. However, implementing this strategy effectively in a classroom with diverse learners can be challenging when whole-group instruction dominates. This is where station rotation can help!
By rotating students through stations, teachers can focus on providing explicit, targeted instruction in a small-group setting like the coaching used to provide hurdling tips to those of use who needed them. This allows for more interaction, immediate feedback, and scaffolding tailored to students’ needs, which aligns with Hattie’s findings. Meanwhile, other groups can engage in peer collaboration or work independently with digital tools, maximizing classroom time and ensuring all learners are actively engaged.
How to Ensure Station Rotations Work!
Embrace Flexible Grouping and Regrouping
What makes the station rotation model one of the most powerful strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners? Flexibility. Using formative assessments, you can group students based on their needs and have them rotate through three key stations during a single class period.
- The first station is Teacher-Led Instruction, where you provide direct, targeted teaching tailored to your students’ needs (This is your chance to give focused support and help students make meaningful progress).
- The second station is Online Learning, where students work independently at their own pace. This station is perfect for practice and exploration. For example, students might use adaptive tools like Khan Academy, interact with virtual simulations, or watch instructional videos followed by quick activities to reinforce their learning.
- The third station is Offline Collaborative Work, which focuses on hands-on learning and peer collaboration. Here, students might work together to solve a challenging problem, explain their reasoning to one another, or use manipulatives to demonstrate their understanding. This station not only builds critical-thinking skills but also fosters teamwork and connection.
You might start by using station rotation once a week to target specific groups of students. As they build more independence and autonomy, you can gradually increase the frequency and make it a regular part of your instruction.
By rotating through these three stations, students experience direct instruction, independent practice, and collaborative learning—all in one class period. And just like how a coach adapts the training plan based on performance, groups should evolve with the context and data—what works one week might shift the next. The key? Flexibility, just like a team that adapts to the competition.
For additional strategies, tune in to Episode 20 of the The Education Table: Three Effective Strategies for Implementing Station Rotations in the Classroom.
Continue your learning!
- Explore online courses, all universally designed
- Read or listen to The Shift to Student-Led
- Schedule a workshop and professional development for your team, contact us to find the right plan for your individual needs!
