All aboard for the station to success! Joshua Colburn, an IRR (Immediate Reinforcement and 
Remediation) teacher at CHES, supports fourth-grade students in reading by leading guided reading lessons, while the general education teacher, Cynthia McKinney, teaches the lesson topic using the iReady curriculum. Colburn and McKinney believe the station model of collaborative teaching has helped the students grow in reading and move towards mastery of the standards. This model is a co-teaching approach where the classroom is divided into learning stations or centers, each focusing on a specific aspect of the lesson. Teachers divide students into groups and rotate them through the stations, allowing for differentiated instruction and increased student engagement.
Colburn enjoys finding books to read with the students in his guided reading lessons. He feels that putting high quality literature in the hands of students will help foster a love of reading while practicing the skills being taught. This makes the grade level standards accessible to the students. Colburn, a frequent patron of the school media center, consistently uses his resources and the school media specialist, Cameron Sheldon, to find and curate materials that meet the diverse learners where they are while learning the standards of the fourth grade curriculum.
“Having the benefit of collaborating with Mr. Colburn this school year has been a game changer,” McKinney said. “We team up to provide data-driven instruction and a positive learning environment. Together, we strive to ensure an inclusive learning environment that enables each student to meet high standards.”
Colburn also collaboratively teaches math with Bridgette Bias. “I love going into the classroom to support all the students,” states Colburn, “but there is something really special about that moment when you can see the mathematical concept click in the mind of a young learner.”
“The students greatly benefit from having two teachers in the classroom,” Bias added, “Mr. C and I feed off of each other. When the students are working in centers we make sure they get started and know what is expected of them. We also switch out leading small group instruction. I love working and collaborating with Mr. C!”