center time

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center time
By Julianne

I am struggling with the same problems. I want to hold students accountable for the work they do in centers. I have NO help when I run my centers. So I have to devise ways in which the students can be made accountable
that do not involve the use of adult helpers or the teacher, since I am teaching guided reading during centers.
Our first grade team visited two different classrooms last year to see how centers had been implemented. One teacher had successfully created ways in which to evaluate most of her center activities. But we saw her room in the late spring. It was difficult to see how she had

taught the skills the kids needed to do the tasks she had assigned. We were left wondering about the process! Some of her ideas were to have students write in small notebooks at different centers so they produced a written record of what they had done there each day. I was put off by the amount of preparation this idea would take and the amount of follow-up it required. She kept insisting that she did have a life outside of the classroom, but it didn't seem like she did.

I did like the idea that she had students grouped across ability levels so each group had a "reader". This allowed for more flexibility in her choice of centers. I have trouble setting out anything that requires even minimal reading as our students are so far below average in this area.
I'll be interested in seeing what other responses you get to this post. I really want my centers to be more than just fun practice at reading related activities. I want to know that real learning is going on there.