Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All

Debbie Diller is a nationally acclaimed educator, author, and consultant with more than four decades of classroom experience and professional development work. She began her career teaching elementary students and later served as a Title I reading specialist, migrant education teacher, and literacy coach before becoming a national consultant in 2000. Her extensive experience in diverse classrooms fuels her practical, teacher-centered approach to literacy, small-group instruction, and work station design, making her a trusted voice in education.

Debbie has authored numerous influential books and resources, including her Simply Stations series and the foundational Literacy Work Stations titles, that help teachers organize purposeful literacy and math stations, manage independent learning, and engage students with meaningful tasks while they work with small groups. Her work is filled with real classroom strategies, rooted in research but deeply grounded in everyday practice.

In her consulting and training, Debbie collaborates with schools across North America, modeling instruction, coaching teams, and helping teachers create learning environments where students thrive. She believes deeply in listening to teachers, meeting them where they are, and building sustainable classroom practices that honor both student needs and teacher expertise.