Simple Center Organization

Livening up my guided math rotations each month are NEVER a struggle during the holidays!  I like to keep about 10 center choices each month and save about FIVE of them for something seasonal and out of the ordinary.  Here is some fun tips for storing those seasonal choices to make some of your OLD centers NEW again!

I love using this Sterlite Photo container to organize 5-6 sets of task cards.  I will switch these out monthly, but my students are familiar with the location and procedure that remains the same.  The bins takes up such a small space that it is perfect if you have space limitations.

These are especially ideal if you wave centers with smaller pieces.  I know that they will not be lost or fall out of a basket if I have them contained in these nifty plastic containers! This set shown is from my December Math Mini Center Bundle for 2nd Grade

I also love grabbing any seasonal gift bag and throwing in a few centers or sets of task cards.  Games are somehow "cooler" in a bag!  Simply adding a unique touch adds some pizzazz during my guided math rotations!

Another advantage to using gift bags is that you can decide if you want the center to be a seatwork activity of a partner activity is a selected space in the room!  It is a great way to self-contain the activity.

How do you jazz up your centers?  Leave a comment!  I'd love to try something new!

0

Organizing Made Simple

One of the biggest challenges for myself and so many teachers is creating a system...a procedure that everything that a teacher NEEDS also has a HOME.  I'm quite proud of the systems I have in place for my students, yet I find myself having so much to keep track of that I get overwhelmed in my efforts to get ahead.  I make a ton of copies or gather books...sometimes weeks ahead of time, but when I need it.......

....the sound of crickets

Yep, I don't consistently FIND these materials!  I blush when people come to my room and remark for ORGANIZED I am.  Gulp...Really??  Perhaps I'm uber hard on myself, but I was determined to rework the systems I have in place for myself this summer.  

9

Classroom Tip for Managing Centers

Hi friends!  So excited to join in The Elementary Entourage’s Annual Tricks & Treats Blog Hop!

 Wanna see my trick from LAST year?  Be sure to click HERE!  I shared how I use Symbaloo in my 1:1 Digital classroom.

My tip is super quick and can be used for ANY center that uses an answer sheet.

I love using centers that are completely open-ended, but I also like for my kidlets to be accountable at times.

Problem: One little Goober will forget that he started a center….take ANOTHER sheet…then, right in the middle of my small group lesson, little Susie can’t do the center because there are no more sheets.

Happens.ALL.The.Time.

My solution is pretty simple.  All you need is:

• ·      Seasonal stamp or sticker
• ·      Sharpie

Create a set of answer sheets for every child in your classroom.  Then, put a cute little stamp or sticker in the corner.  You can change it seasonally or to help you differentiate your kidlets!

 Once they are stamped, I number the pages.  This corresponds for the number system I use for all of my kids.  We line up in order, I use a number system to file their weekly papers.  

Yes....keep going until you have enough for every child to complete the center ONCE.  

This cute center in not mine!  This one dates way back and was a free download.  I did a little searching and the author happens to be a fellow blogger.  Be sure to check out Confessions of a Teaching Junkie to see more of her recent stuff!  

Then, you will simply fill your folder, envelope or wherever you store your answer sheets with your center.  Now...all you kids need to do is...

• Choose THEIR number
• Work on their center

Not finished? No problem!  Have them return their paper to their spot for NEXT time!  This is super quick to prep--you can even let your sweet friends get these prepped for you!

Now that I’ve tricked you….how about a TREAT!!!

I’ve put together a little Sample to use in your centers this October.  Super easy to use for a small group lesson, center, or RTI for the standard!

I’ve also put all of my Halloween Task Cards on sale until Monday, October 19th^rd.  Once midnight hits..POOF!..it’ll be regular price!  Click the image below to see my FREE sample and these items that are all 20% off for this short time!

Now...hop one over to see more great Tricks & Treats!

An InLinkz Link-up

0

Task Card Organization Tip

Hello y’all!!

I will be changing classroom this fall and sadly, my new room was not ready when we exited for the summer.  What’s a teacher to do with SO much stuff and want to start the new room FRESH and ORGANIZED?

If you are like me…..you just take the mess home. 

First on the agenda is to deal with my task cards.  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I love GETTING them.  I love CREATING them.  I love USING them.  What I have yet to love is how I MANAGE them. And by MANAGE...I mean STORAGE.

.

I have quite a few things I really like and have worked for me.I picked up loads of accordion folders at the Target Dollar Spot-often times on SALE!  They work GREAT to tape the cover on the outside while keeping the contents inside.  The rigid index card holders are perfect, too.  Photo albums from the Dollar Tree will hold not one but TWO sets of task cards.  Awesome!  Perfect for Word Work-no worries of them getting out of order or lost cards.

While I still intend to use these when they are assigned, they didn’t work well in my storage bins.  It ended up being a hodge podge, didn’t fit well, and it was hard to find what I needed.  I’d have to ask myself what did I store it in last?  Well…for someone who forgets why they went upstairs…that just wasn’t going to work for me long term.

So, I brought in the pile of task cards and bins into the living room and set to work!

Once I decided on the categories, I removed all of the various containers and replaced them with……

BINDER CLIPS.

Yes…those ugly clips that seem to sit in my closet unused.  But….I have a plan for them and they will be the answer to my organizational needs.

Without doing anything extra, I like that I can easily just flip through them so easily!!

I purchased a package of circle labels in three colors to help me code them.

Green stickers-2^nd Grade

Pink stickers- 3^rd Grade

Orange stickers- 4^th Grade

I am labeling the top of the clip with the appropriate grade level so that I’ll know right off the grade level I need: whether it's  for remediation, on-level, or enrichment.  If there is a CCSS that I can label it, I am writing the standard on the sticker!

As you can see, I’ve given myself a little reminder in the back to make sure I don’t FORGET my new system! 

Since the INSIDE got a facelift, I created new labels for the OUTSIDE!

This was a great project that will keep by busy for a few days.  Once I started labeling, I found that I had to pull off some of the stickers to make room for two.

I'll be back soon with PART TWO!  Here's a little hint.... you can't have task cards without answer sheets and answer keys!

See you soon!

2

Binder Task Card Organization

It's that time again y'all!  Mondays are just the BEST in the summer thanks to Tara at 4th Grade Frolics!  If you are starting here, be sure to click the image above to see all the great contributions this week!

Before I share my MMI, let me say thanks for all the great feedback for my Freebie last week!  You make a girl feel so special!  I appreciate you taking the time to give me your thoughts.  If you do Insta, I'd hashtag this #teacherssupportteachers #yourock 

Your freebie this week is simply an idea!  And frankly, it comes from a typical summer problem for me.  Teacher spends free time making stuff + all storage stuff is locked in your classroom = THIS!

Task cards EVERYWHERE!  I had a printing and laminating session and here it is.  In the midst of cutting and trying to figure out how I was going to keep what I've done straight... and knowing whether or not I've printed the answer documents, it hit me!  I put all my master copies in binders...why not put my task cards WITH them!

So...that's what I did

I piled my task cards with the sheet protectors.

Put the cards in the front of the answer document.  I got tired of cutting, so I just trimmed the outside of these until I'm ready to cut again.  But they have a home other than my floor, my end table, my computer desk, or whatever!

This is a binder full of just Place Value Task Cards

Feeling accomplished, I have that floor full of mess neatly organized into two binders.  I might just add a job to my summer list and make binder covers and do this with all of my cards!  Might be a better system in the end!!

On the June 2nd MMI, I shared how I plan to set up my Reading Interactive Notebooks this year.  I guess this was kind of a teaser!  I got a few messages asking when I was going to post them on TpT.  I had kind of put it on the back burner.  I guess I'm a little ADD--starting projects and stray off task.  If you didn't see that post, be sure to click back to read Reading Interactive Notebooks.

So, I got back on track!  I am so very please with the product and having a plan to tackle Reading Street this fall with a plan for certain tasks.  

I really liked how the first unit turned out.  I was able to fit 2 on one sheet of paper for all of the Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills.  They really want us using less paper in my district, so getting it all to FIT on the least amount of paper was my goal.  I found that my FAVORITE INBs tended to use alot of paper.  Trying to balance things out.

I did have one that took up a whole sheet, but I just loved the shape!

You can find Unit 1 in my store by clicking on the picture.

So, I was planning to take a break when I started getting questions about the NEXT one.  So, I thought...you know?  It would stink to start the year with something not knowing if this strange lady in Alabama was going to do Units 2-6!  That was all I needed to plow ahead and complete Unit 2, too.  And I think I love this one even more!

I'm going to take a break to work on some other things for school, but I know I want to get Unit 3 done before I go back to school.  Knowing I have them ready until I come back in January will be put peace in my mind.

You link up with Unit 2 by clicking on THIS picture.  I listed it last night, and it's half-price for the first two days.  That seems to be the going "deal" these days!  If you're not following me on Facebook to have gotten first one (yeah, I could have saved it for today), I'll go ahead and mark Unit 1 back down, too!

That is my week!  Lots of rainy days make for plenty of computer time!  And I'll find just about ANYTHING to do that helps me avoid doing laundry!

Can't believe it's almost July, y'all!  Have a great week!

6