“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank

“How can I use the Tabor Rotation Framework if I’m a resource teacher and we only have pull out for 30 minutes per group of students?”

Many schools choose to “push in” rather than “pull out” when they provide resource services to their students. In one school district, all of the resource teachers were in the self-contained classrooms during the rotation time on Days 2 & 3 and during the readiness grouping on Days 4 & 5.

They found this to be one of the most effective ways to best make use of their time with their students. The resource teachers calculated the amount of time it took to come and get the students, take the students to the resource room, help everyone acclimate themselves to the new surroundings, begin the activity, bring closure to the activity, take the students back to their regular classroom, determine what the rest of the class was doing, and help the students begin working again. Not much of the 30-minute resource time was used in actual assistance for the students. Frankly, I’m tired just reading it!

Instead, the classroom teachers, and all resource teachers who worked with them, met for team planning together. Copies of the completed Tabor Rotation Planning Guides were given to everyone who worked with the students–for once they were all on the same page! With this information in hand at least 3-4 weeks before the instruction occurred, the ESL teachers were also able to “front load” declarative knowledge, vocabulary, and provide experiences for the students who needed a more in-depth understanding.

During the Day 1 of the Tabor Rotation Framework, the resource teacher circulated to his students to check for understanding and to give clarification for the activities being placed in the week’s stations. On Days 2 & 3, Station Rotation Days, the resource teacher rotated to the stations where his students were working or gave teacher direction to two of the stations.

On Days 4 & 5, Readiness Grouping Days, the resource teacher met with her students while the classroom teacher met with other readiness groups. The resource teacher sometimes gave students additional assistance for completion of the Application Menu of Options which is given to all students for independent/partner work.

If the resource teacher was “pulled in” instead of the students being “pulled out,” the students actually received 30 minutes of additional support. It takes planning and scheduling for the adult…but, since it’s worth it for the students!

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” -Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy