Taking Station Rotation for a Spin

Here’s what I love in life: You want something, you get it, and it turns out better than you imagined.

When I daydreamed about all the good reasons to return to the classroom, at the top of the list was the opportunity to become really good at the station rotation model. This is my own little passion project, and I am so darn lucky to have the chance to implement this structure with students. I’ve run weekly station rotations for six weeks now, and the biggest surprise has been how effective this structure is for responding quickly to students’ academic needs.

I’ll continue to wax poetic on station rotation for as long as I’m teaching, but so far, the most compelling element is how well this model streamlines quick, small-group interventions for students. 

(I’ve stolen ideas from relied heavily on Dr. Catlin Tucker to build my capacity. Check out her work here: https://catlintucker.com/2021/10/station-rotation-model/)

Nuts and bolts:

• Mondays and Tuesdays are short periods, and those days are for mini-lessons.

• Wednesdays and Thursdays are block periods, so those are station rotation days. The 90-minute period allows for rotations every 18 minutes or so.

• Stations are designed as opportunities to apply skills and ideas from the mini-lessons.

Here’s how I arrange groups:

1. Each of the four groups is about eight students.

2. I created a quadrant template that I update every week to assign students to their starting point in the rotation.

3. On Tuesday afternoons, I review who is missing assignments, with a focus on practice tasks from Monday and Tuesday. (I will also go back and see who is missing earlier assignments, especially those that impact their grades.)

4. Station 1 is designated as the Make Up Station, and I group kids based on missing assignments. They start in this station.

5. Once the class is up and running, I spend most of my time monitoring this group in this rotation. This gives me time to answer questions, determine points of confusion, and say “do this right now” and then stare at a kid/kids until they do it.

6. Students who have completed all tasks and are showing mastery for that week start in Station 2. They end up in Station 1 on the last rotation, and that allows for an enrichment or challenge activity for these excelling students. Or simply 18 minutes to chill out and chat.

This quick intervention has been the big payoff so far. Also, the student who walked into my class on a block day and said, “I’m ready for station rotation!”

There’s so much more … stay tuned!

Collaborative Classroom Expectations - Eating Strategy Every Morning

Educators can learn so much from business experts and successful entrepreneurs (and vise versa). When I’m really at my best and most impactful as a teacher, I’m essentially running a small business and the profit is student growth, in academics, in confidence, and in connection with others. And one idea that feels true down to my bones is this:

If you’ve ever tried to make an impact in a toxic culture, you probably feel this in your bones too.

That’s why I spent a not small chunk of time at the start of school intentionally building culture. A few tech tools make this so much easier than it’s ever been.

And it’s not too late to implement culture building! Indeed, it should continue all year long.

Here’s what I did this year:

Step 1: Build a Class Description - Students describe themselves in a quickwrite, things they like, goals for the future, etc. Then they share in pairs, and then in groups of four to find similarities. All groups then share out, and the list of similarities is compiled.

Next, put the whole class list into the generative AI tool of choice, and request an overall class description:

Before posting in class, students have the opportunity to edit the description.

Step 2: Seek Student Voice - Use a digital survey of choice to ask students what they need in order to maximize learning. I had students brainstorm and share with partners before taking the survey so that they had time to think about their specific needs.

Step 3: Create Unique Classroom Expectations - Copy the survey responses into the generative AI tool of choice, and ask for a list of three statements that declare what students need to learn in class. I also asked for any outliers to ensure I wasn’t missing a single but compelling response.

Step 4: Post and Sign - Having each student sign ceremoniously is a way to publicly declare their commitment to the expectations, and also a little silly and fun, which is completely my jam.

Step 5: Review, Reflect, Refine - Take the opportunity to review classroom expectations and reflect on how I’m doing and how they are doing in upholding the expectations. I also periodically discuss how our classroom expectations are different from school rules, but definitely aligned. Cell phones are a real problem so far, and the rule is no cell phones in the classroom. That’s 100% aligned to commitments such as “engaging fully in discussions”. 

Building a culture of respect, shared values, common goals, and a commitment to learning together takes a little time, but classroom culture underpins everything we try to accomplish as educators. So worth the time!

Practicing What I Preach

One of the loveliest and most challenging perks about returning to the classroom is the opportunity to put my money where my mouth has been for the past decade. I’ve been training, coaching, and supporting teachers since before I went into admin, and now that I’m a full-time teacher again, it’s time to exercise those teaching chops. Now, that’s fun. But also a little scary because I’m not 100 percent every moment. Let me tell you where I have been struggling.

Using my resources: I’ve been preaching to students and teachers and colleagues for years to use the tools around them. Dictionaries, websites, notes, textbooks, and so many other resources are just waiting for us to use them. But I’m truly overwhelmed by how many resources I have now, and I’m working to figure out when to use which resource. Case in point: While planning a mini-lesson on citation practice for this week’s station rotation, I tried all sorts of generative AI tools, and the results were, in a word, garbage. Then I remembered the treasure trove that is university websites, and within a few minutes, I had the resources I needed for this week.

I truly need to remind myself why I’m using these resources. My intention is to use the time I’m saving by not creating everything from scratch to know exactly how my students are progressing and then differentiating appropriately and quickly. Definitely need to sharpen this particular saw.

Slowing down to speed up: One of my favorite admin colleagues (Hey, Langton!) used to say that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. But I have so many ideas I want to implement and so many structures and activities from the past I want to revive! And I’ve been very intentionally building culture in my classroom - most likely my next blog post - and working on taking time to make decisions in my life, so I’m adopting Mr. Langton’s wisdom and reminding myself that slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

I tend to walk fast and talk fast and eat fast and change fast, while telling folks about the benefits of slowing down. This journey is really forcing me to look critically at my own speed, in the classroom and in my personal life.

And every day in the classroom is another opportunity to practice what I preach.

Running on Muscle Memory

If I were inspired more than I plan to be, I could do a cartwheel. That’s because I did about a trillion cartwheels from the time I was in preschool through adulthood. Haven’t done a cartwheel in a decade or so, but I trust that my body just knows what to do.

Turns out, for me anyway, launching a school year in the classroom seems to be the same. My muscle memory has pulled me through these past two days. This is, mostly, a really good thing. But … there is at least one drawback so far to relying on automaticity. 

The good news first: Kagan groups, over planning, and lots of student talk still work. Through the middle of next week, it’s all team and classroom culture building before we dive into content. I’ve intentionally planned too many activities because there will be no downtime, and I really need students to connect and engage with each other before we do difficult stuff together. 

Their happy chatter warms my heart, and kids are still so darn funny, but what I’m really trying to do is lower their affective filter and build a foundation of safety and support. A couple classes are still pretty quiet, and I’ll keep coaxing them until they are ready to share their voices.

The bad news: Muscle memory cuts both ways. I automatically do the effective things I used to do, as well as the practices that are no longer effective or necessary. Case in point: I needed to prep lessons for co-creating classroom expectations. I opened a blank doc and took off. And about a minute later, I remembered that I don’t need to spend a couple hours making lesson plans and materials. I clicked over to Diffit, asked for lessons on co-creating classroom expectations, instantly received a bunch of stuff, reviewed and edited that stuff, and five minutes later, I had everything I needed. Early on in this journey, I declared that I would use AI well, but these tools didn’t exist when I left the classroom, and it will take a while for this old dog to learn that particular trick.

Also not great, I wore one of my favorite outfits on the first day of school because that’s what I do. Here’s a tip for new teachers: Don’t wear the colors of the rival school on the first day back. I didn’t even think about that - just muscle memory - but I certainly will from now on!

Nope. Not this time around!

To complete the analysis of what I plan to add, to keep, and to toss as reenter the classroom, here are three things I’m not bringing back this time around:

1 - So much classroom decor - My previous classroom was a colorful, crammed assault on the senses. In my defense, I was in there for 23 years, and things just piled up. Posters, books, knick knacks - all part of my little home away from home in room 706.

I gave away most of my stuff when I went into admin, and I’m darn glad of it. (Though I am dearly missing my podcasting equipment at the moment …) The plan for my new classroom is sleek, simple, quiet. Imagine a cafe where you go to work and think and reflect. Honestly, this is going to take quite a bit of discipline on my part, but I know it’s the right thing for me, and for students who don’t need a bunch of tchotchkes in their space.

True confession though: I’m still making room for the disco ball. I mean, c’mon, there must be a little dance break every now and again!

2 - Spending weekends grading papers -  Before I left the classroom, I taught dual enrollment English and AP English Language. Students wrote a lot. I tried to grade a lot. I also tried to build students’ ability to edit and revise, assess their own work, and practice their writing skills without concern for a score. But I never found that sweet spot.

My plan is to be so intentionally, ruthlessly focused on standards that the evidence students turn in for me to gauge their growth in meeting those standards is as sleek and essential as my new classroom. Quick and focused formative feedback, made possible by frequent and targeted station rotations, I hope will lead to more in-class and on-time assessment and fewer stacks of aging essays on my dining room table.

Much more to come on this topic, I’m sure …

3 - Stressing out about needing a sub - I’m entering my 30th year in education, and I probably have a year of sick leave at this point. You know, that’s fantastic, except that it represents days and weeks of me going to work sick, grieving, missing events at my daughter’s school, etc. I’m glad to have the time, but it represents a big regret for me. 

I hate leaving my class with a sub, but it took a couple decades and a global pandemic for me to see that the alternative has been harmful to me, and ultimately, my students. I plan to take time when I need it and accept that sometimes, I do need it. Tough sell for sure.

The universe has a sense of humor and decided to test me: I have a jury summons for later this month. Saw it in the mailbox, instantly freaked out, and then decided …

I’m not doing that this time around.

What I'm keeping from my previous classroom

In my last blog post, I listed three actions I will implement when I reenter the classroom in just a couple weeks. In a nod to one of my favorite structures for reflection - the good ol’ Add, Keep, Stop analysis - here are three actions I plan to keep from my 23 years as a teacher:

1. Call Backs - The easiest, quickest no-dollar, high-impact tool I ever used. It’s so simple: “I say ‘welcome’ and you say ‘back!’” Then add words, phrases, claps, etc. throughout the year, following the students’ lead. Here’s why call backs are so powerful:

1. It’s a team effort. Everyone joins in and helps create the daily call back.

2. As the teacher, I’m saying it’s OK to be loud and use your voice in here.

3. Most importantly, it’s joyful. It creates a warm, inviting slice of the day. Love it!

2. Daily Exit Tickets -  These are just little scraps of paper I collect each day as students exit the room. Students respond to a question from me, based on the day’s lesson or perhaps it’s a preview for the next day’s learning, and sometimes it’s just a silly question that helps me learn more about my students. 

3. Learning Zone/Performance Zone - Inspired by the TED Talk video How to Get Better at the Things You Care About, I tried to be super open with students about what each assignment was intended to provide for them: practice or performance. It’s sometimes a hard sell to convince students that the goal of each class isn’t to get the most points, but this idea helps them change a game-the-system mindset and inspire them to seek learning and improvement. 

I’m heading to New Teacher Training next week - so amped! - and will share the three actions I’m leaving in my previous classroom, with no plans of looking back.

What's giving me energy right now

 The last time I was a teacher, there was no Covid and no AI. I used an iPod to play music in my classroom. Suffice it to say, things have changed. However, regardless of these uncertain times, there are plans I’m very much looking forward to as I relaunch my teaching career.

Here are three things that have me energized and excited for the coming school year:

1. Station Rotation: A good decade or so before I left the classroom for an admin job, I went all-in on collaborative groups, and I was getting really good at intentional grouping and differentiating instruction for students. Then, I went to Lindsay High School and learned a ton about Station Rotation models. My plan? There will be stations. There will be rotations. Laughter, good times, and on-time learning. Can’t wait!

2. The positive potential of AI: Technology has changed so much since I was a teacher. I want to use it effectively and wisely, and I want to ensure students use it effectively and wisely. I’ve virtually connected with a few educators who are on the forefront of this effort, and a few who are sounding alarms about AI in education. I’m learning from them and hope to share that learning as a teacher.

3. Being a marigold: It’s been more than a decade since “Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule for New Teachers” was published on Cult of Pedagogy. (https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/marigolds/) With 30 years of education under my belt, and the perspective of site and district administration, I hope to serve as a source of compassionate support for new and newish educators in my new district. At this point, many new teachers are younger than my daughter, and might I say, what a great group of young adults they tend to be. So much to learn from them, and a bit of old lady wisdom for me to share. 

So many reasons for hopeful anticipation of the new school year! If you, dear reader, have tips, hints, ideas to share, please do so! All will be much appreciated!