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Manchester City Schools found an unexpected strength in its station rotation model when school closures forced learning to move online.

When we adopted a center rotation station model for some of our classrooms, we were trying to solve some age-old teaching challenges with limited resources. What we didn’t know was that the same qualities that make for good center rotation stations would also help us navigate the uncertainty of distance learning as schools shut down in response to COVID-19.

MOVING TO A CENTER ROTATION STATION MODEL

Our district is small, with two elementary schools and a middle school serving approximately 1,500 students in a rural, socioeconomically challenged area, so resources can get pretty thin. We have co-teaching classrooms in which a general education teacher and an exceptional education teacher partner to teach a classroom of students with diverse abilities.

With the center rotation station model, we can closely match student learning levels with hands-on activities students are interested in. Often, they learn without even realizing they’re doing it.

We have recently been expanding this model to include more small group center rotation stations, particularly in our co-teaching classrooms, to take advantage of the engagement without too much immediate supervision.

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