Station Teaching

For Station Teaching, the co-teaching pair divides the instructional content into stations. Each teacher instructs at one of the stations. Groups then rotate or spend a designated amount of time at each station. This is often used in conjunction with one or more independent-work stations along with these teacher-led stations.

Ways that a team may use this strategy:

  • One teacher might lead a station where the students play a money math game and the other teacher could have a mock store where the students purchase items and make change.
  • Some stations may be independent because the content/process is familiar to students. The teacher team can walk around, monitor and discuss ideas with students, use this as time for informal assessment.
  • Math stations may include the use for various tools (e.g., technology app, base ten/algebra pieces, number talk led by one teacher with a small group) to explore a task then the other teacher monitors the other stations during work time.
  • When completing a research project, stations could include varied types of source (e.g., online, primary documents, tradebooks, textbooks) where students go to learn about how to use the resource and/or collect information.
  • Organize for a volunteers for a similar day of the week and time so they can always be responsible for co-monitoring stations.
  • Make sure you teach and practice the content/skills featured in each station before students are asked to engage in the station rotation independently.
  • Using stations to teach various cultural approaches focused on the same topic (e.g., teaching multiplication: one station features how (x) is taught/conceptualized in Japan; another India; etc.) (Disclaimer: supplement as needed to avoid “tourist curriculum”).
  • Phase in stations for TC: start by observing process as a whole, then taking charge of a pre-prepared station, then create and instruct own station
  • Co-teaching allows for the use of teacher-led stations which can be helpful with challenging content, materials, etc. The second teacher can monitor student as they work and support as needed.
  • Students can also lead stations - be the “teacher.”