Welcome back, y’all! In Part 3 of our Small Group Series, we’re going to be talking about how to vary small group work in your classroom.
I use the term “stations” very loosely in my room. My kiddos know when I say that we have “stations” planned for the day, it could mean a number of things.
Stations Do Not (Have To) Equal Rotations
Most of us know what stations or centers are. Many general classroom teachers use stations on a daily basis. In fact, this is where I came up with the idea to try them out in the music classroom.
Starting Out
At my first job, part of my day was dedicated to helping out in a first grade classroom for a block of time in the mornings. I immediately fell in love with how this teacher structured her rotations for math and ELA.
Her students (even in first grade) were working independently at various stations around the room while she worked with a small group.
The first time I tried this in the music room, I thought I could set out some fun activities and my students would immediately work like little angels!
I know, I know. Give me a break, it was my first job! So, of course, the first go at stations was a disaster. I realized very quickly that my kiddos needed clear expectations of how and when to complete their stations.
For more info on setting expectations, check out Part 1 of the series!
Moving Forward
I learned a lot about how stations/small groups in the music room needed to work that first year.
I had many activities that I wanted my students to complete each class, but there simply wasn’t enough time to do them all.
50 minutes goes by in a flash! It took me a few years to really hone in on what worked and what didn’t, but the system I use now is a well-oiled machine! Don’t worry, I’m going to give you all the secrets!
Station Variations
As I mentioned before, when my students hear the word “stations”, they know it could mean many different things. Here are some of the main ways I handle stations in my music classroom:
- Traditional Rotations
- Complete a Certain Number of Stations
- Small Group Work on ONE activity
- “Free Choice” Stations-more on this in Part 4!
Traditional Rotations
Of course, one of the main ways I set up stations in my music classroom includes the traditional method of rotating through various activities.
Since each class only lasts 50 minutes, I have to make sure there is adequate time for my kiddos to complete each station.
One of the main reasons I choose to do traditional rotations is because I need them to complete EVERY station. This needs to happen in one class period so we aren’t extending it to the next week. I usually choose 4-5 activities for my students to complete.
When choosing to go the traditional route, I choose activities that are short, sweet, and to the point. These might include rhythm games, treble clef note identification, smart board games, etc.
I do not include activities such as crafts or worksheets, because they usually do not have enough time to complete these in just 7-8 minutes.
Complete a Certain Number of Stations
This style of stations is set up in the same way as traditional rotations. However, in this case, students are not required to complete every activity.
I will typically put out 5 stations and tell the students to complete 3 of the activities before the end of class . Not only does this allow for more choice in what they do, but I can also include things that may take them a bit longer to do.
This method of stations really helps my kiddos manage time as well. They know to keep an eye on the clock so they’ll have time to complete their three activities.
Small Group Work on ONE Activity
This method has students working in small groups, but the entire class is working on the same activity. This is one of my favorite ways to have my students complete an activity because it can work for so many situations.
As I stated in Part 1, I only teach the whole group for about 10-15 minutes. The remainder of the time is used for hands on learning. A great example of this happens when I teach the treble clef lines and spaces.
Once I have introduced the concept to the whole group and I feel they can grasp it, I will explain our activity. In this case, we will be building a rainbow matching the letters to the pitches on the staff. Since this activity includes cutting and gluing, it will take them longer than the 7-8 minutes of traditional rotations.
When you consider the time it takes to pass out materials, clean up materials and hang their rainbows in the hall, they get about 20 minutes of actual work time.
This method is so versatile and can be a great addition to your classroom!
To sum it up…
So, what is the advantage to using these types of stations or small groups in your classroom? You can get your time back! My classroom basically runs itself on a day-to-day basis. Once those expectations are set and your students know the routine, you can let them do these activities on their own! It gives you the time to go around the room and give more individual attention and assessment (more on this in Part 5!).
Coming Up Next!
Keep an eye out for Part 4 of the small group series where I’ll be discussing “Free Choice” Stations! If you haven’t already, subscribe to my email list and you’ll be the first to know when that post is live! You can find all my elementary music resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Catch Up:
Part 1: Lesson Structure and Setting Expectations
Next in the Series:
Part 4: “Free Choice” Stations
Part 5: Engagement and Individual Assessment
