Models of Co-teaching - Station Teaching

In station teaching, the class is divided into three or more groups and the classroom has multiple learning centers. As the students rotate through the stations, the teachers teach the same material in different ways to each group. For example, fractions may be taught with a fraction line at one and with cubes at another. If there are more stations than teachers, some stations may be student-led and at least one will focus on independent work or practice opportunities, (Morin, n.d.).

CLASSROOM SETUP

Students and content are divided into three groups. Each teacher teaches one section of content, and the third section is based on independent practice activities. Students rotate between all 3 groups. Three distinct stations are set up, one for each teacher (might be a carpet space, small group table, or just desks arranged in front of the board) and one for independent student work.

ADVANTAGE

Smaller groups means more individual student attention.
Each teacher can independently plan for an area or lesson of strength
Each student is exposed to similar material, but groups can be differentiated by level Makes good use of two teachers for management purposes
Supports a UDL approach to teaching
Allows for more material to be covered in a shorter time frame
Provides a clear teaching responsibility for each adult in the room

DISADVANTAGE

Timing is critical and may be hard to coordinate perfectly.
Some students may not be able to manage themselves appropriately in the independent station.
Requires a great amount of planning
Requires management of students working independently
May be logistically difficult depending on your classroom space
Students may not get to all of the stations if they’re not moving at the same pace
May be noisy and distracting for some students
Requires pre-teaching around expectations for independent work time

BEST FOR...

Frequent use when planned well, teachers have varying strengths, and activities can be differentiated.

REFERENCES:
Morin, A. (n.d.). 6 models of co-teaching. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-models-of-co-teaching
C.A.S.T. (n.d.). What is Co-Teaching? An Introduction to Co-Teaching and Inclusion. Retrieved from https://publishing.cast.org/stories-resources/stories/co-teaching-introduction-inclusion-stein
Cook, L., & Friend, M. (2004, April 29). Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics. Participants Guide. Paper presented at New Mexico Public Education Department Quarterly Special Education Meeting, Albuquerque. Santa Fe, NM: New Mexico Public Education Department.
Model Teaching. (2019). The Six Co-Teaching Models Reference Guide. Retrieved from https://modelteaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-6-Co-Teaching-Models-Reference-Guide.pdf
Friend, M & Cook, L 2003. Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. Pearson Education, Inc, Boston.