New Book Drop! The Station Rotation Model & UDL

My newest book, The Station Rotation Model and UDL: Elevate Tier 1 Instruction & Cultivate Learner Agency, officially launches today!

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Why Did I Write This Book?

Schools and districts are grappling with a daunting challenge: How do we meet the needs of such a wide range of learners in a single classroom? I talk to teachers every week who tell me their students’ skill levels span two to three grade levels. Teachers are trying to keep up. They want their students to be successful. They want to enjoy this work! Unfortunately, many teachers are using a one-size-fits-all approach to instruction, and it just isn’t working. Whole-group, teacher-led, teacher-paced lessons leave too many students behind or bored, and too many teachers feeling ineffective.

This book is my response to the current reality that many educators face. My goal is to provide a more flexible instructional approach that prioritizes data-informed design, differentiation, and student agency to ensure the learning meets the needs of the beautifully diverse populations of students we teach. The diversity of needs, skills, abilities, learning preferences, language proficiencies, and interests in a classroom is not a problem to solve, but rather a reality we must design for, and the dominant whole-group model is not cutting it.

Many schools and districts are embracing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to address this challenge. While many educators believe deeply in the values of UDL—accessibility, inclusivity, equity—they are often left wondering what it actually looks like in practice. What does it mean to universally design a lesson in a way that feels realistic, manageable, and sustainable? This book strives to answer that question and equip teachers with a technology-enhanced instructional approach they can use to put UDL into practice.

The Station Rotation Model is the blended learning model on which I spend the most time training teachers, as it addresses many of the challenges that educators and students face in classrooms. It creates the time and space for teachers to work with small groups. This makes it possible to differentiate instruction, modeling sessions, support, and feedback to meet every student where they are in their individual learning journeys! It opens the door for more meaningful interactions between teachers and students. It also helps teachers reclaim those feelings of impact and connection that drew them to this profession in the first place.

But that is just the beginning!

The Station Rotation Model invites us to rethink how we use time, space, and technology. We can design online and offline stations that give students more control over the pace and path of their learning. These flexible pathways, which offer multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression, can help us remove barriers to learning and support all students in accessing rigorous, meaningful content. We can use this model to create learning experiences that prioritize collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. We can help students develop the executive functioning skills they need to plan, reflect, manage time, and make responsible decisions. When lessons do not provide students with any opportunities to make key decisions about their experience, they are unlikely to develop these critical life skills.

We can achieve all of this using the technology already in our classrooms more strategically. Instead of seeing technology as a distraction, we can design with intention to enhance learning, provide flexible learning pathways, keep students engaged, and support better academic outcomes. By using the Station Rotation Model to operationalize the UDL guidelines, we can turn the theory of inclusive design into daily practice.

Who Is This Book For?

Whether you are brand new to the Station Rotation Model or have been experimenting with it for a while, this book is designed with you in mind.

If you have never used the Station Rotation Model, this book offers a clear starting point. I introduce the model, articulate the benefits, outline its key components, walk you through how to design each station with intention, and dispel common myths about this model. The design of the station rotation is rooted in a data-informed design cycle, so you will understand how and when to collect data. The book will guide you in using that data to design differentiated and personalized learning experiences that ensure all students are progressing toward firm, standards-aligned goals.

If you’re already using the Station Rotation Model but aren’t seeing the impact you had hoped for, you’re not alone. I wrote this book to help you move from frustration to clarity (and enjoyment!). You’ll find explicit guidance on high-level design, including specific instructional strategies you can use at your teacher-led station to make differentiation possible, whether you are working with same-skill or mixed-skill groups. The goal is to ensure Tier 1, or core instruction, is as effective as possible, reducing the need for Tier 2 support or Tier 3 intervention.

You’ll find strategies to enhance the quality of your online and offline stations, with examples of high-level learning activities that foster agency, collaboration, communication, and deeper thinking. The success of this model depends on more than just good planning, so I provide step-by-step guidance on how to set the stage for success by establishing clear routines with students, responding to unproductive behaviors, arranging class furniture strategically, and grouping students flexibly.

Even if you have been using station rotation for a while, this book will stretch your thinking and build on your current skill set. It even presents creative alternatives to the traditional rotation format, offering new ways to approach station design that increase student control over the pace and path of their learning. Whether you are new to station rotation or already on your station rotation journey, this book is designed to support you in taking your practice to the next level with purpose and confidence.

Ready to Dive In?

If you’re looking for a better way to meet the needs of all your students, reclaim your time for small-group instruction, and design more intentional learning experiences, I wrote this book for you!

School leaders interested in using the book for a staff-wide study can place a discounted bulk order for 10 or more copies. If you and your teachers need additional support, I offer customized professional learning that is hands-on, practice-based, and tailored to your team’s needs. Together, we can support your teachers in developing their UDL practice, differentiating instruction more effectively, and elevating Tier 1 instruction. We can even utilize the Station Rotation Model to create space for Tier 2 support and Tier 3 intervention within general education classrooms. And, we can explore how this model can help us position students as active agents leading their own learning!

The Station Rotation Model and UDL: Elevate Tier I Instruction and Cultivate Learner Agency is available now! I’d love for you to check it out, share it with a colleague, and let me know what resonates most with you. If you have any questions about the book, please post a comment!