Station TEACHING
The "Station Teaching" model is when a group of students are split into smaller groups led by each teacher. In the groups students may work on different activities/lessons and/or different concepts related to the same lesson. Teachers who lead groups are responsible for planning the activity/lesson for his/her assigned group. Students can also travel from different learning stations or students remain in one place while a teacher circulates to work with different groups.
PROS: This can be an effective way to utilize both teachers' lesson-planning abilities and content area strengths, as well as allow room for equity between the shared instruction. Station teaching is also a good method for differentiated instruction between the students of different learning levels and learning styles.
CONS: When considering the effective use of teacher ability and allowing for classroom equity between teachers, which happen to be the two of the most difficult aspects to manage within co-teaching, the station teaching model can be ideal. However, the downside to station teaching is that it requires alot of advance planning to perfect the outstanding timing needed from both teachers to perform this model well. Time spent planning is also needed to establish successful practices for classroom management that are shared and adhered to by both teachers. Classroom setup, space and/or resources can also determine if station teaching is effective or can be used at all as an instruction method.
TIPS: To successfully station teach, be sure to plan in advance. This means making sure that resources are available, space is adequate and that lessons plans are clear and shared ahead of time. Station teaching is most effective when each group (students and their teacher) is clear about the assignment and its desired outcome, so make sure you discuss questions and concerns with your co-teacher ahead of time. Timing is also important to any successful station teaching model. Make sure you allow enough time for setup, the activity and clean-up. Plan for post-activities related to the assignment in case students finish early.
PROS: This can be an effective way to utilize both teachers' lesson-planning abilities and content area strengths, as well as allow room for equity between the shared instruction. Station teaching is also a good method for differentiated instruction between the students of different learning levels and learning styles.
CONS: When considering the effective use of teacher ability and allowing for classroom equity between teachers, which happen to be the two of the most difficult aspects to manage within co-teaching, the station teaching model can be ideal. However, the downside to station teaching is that it requires alot of advance planning to perfect the outstanding timing needed from both teachers to perform this model well. Time spent planning is also needed to establish successful practices for classroom management that are shared and adhered to by both teachers. Classroom setup, space and/or resources can also determine if station teaching is effective or can be used at all as an instruction method.
TIPS: To successfully station teach, be sure to plan in advance. This means making sure that resources are available, space is adequate and that lessons plans are clear and shared ahead of time. Station teaching is most effective when each group (students and their teacher) is clear about the assignment and its desired outcome, so make sure you discuss questions and concerns with your co-teacher ahead of time. Timing is also important to any successful station teaching model. Make sure you allow enough time for setup, the activity and clean-up. Plan for post-activities related to the assignment in case students finish early.