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centers
By Dedi
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I agree that time is tight with curriculum, so I would use centers as what they're doing when it's not their turn to work with you in a small group. Ideally, this would refer to guided reading groups, but it sounds as though, like me, this is not part of your curriculum. If you still want to have centers, they can fit however is best for your classroom. I've come to learn that the ideal of centers is implemented a little differently everywhere. My system is not what I would want in an ideal world, but dictated by my curriculum and schedule. It may help you:
I do have 2 math groups, and my students | |
do center work (supervised by my assistant) while I work with the opposing group. My district calls for an inordinate amount of math time (60 min. Tues/Thurs. and 80 on MWF), so most of my centers are math related. Right now, they are math journal, math game, computer (math practice games)/puzzle center (3-4 kids in group, but only 2 computers), and surprise (generally an extension activity for science or social studies). If the assigned activity is completed before the other math group is finished (I go anywhere between 25-35 minutes), the children have DEAR time. Each activity can easily be completed in this time allotment, and they are on a four day rotation (On Mondays, we all have math together, working on a special project with the math coordinator.), so they each get to go once a week. If there is a snow day, we will not skip that day, but keep the rotation going where we left off, so no one misses anything. (Basically, it's a rotation of every 4th day of math you get to do __________, rather than doing a particular center on each day of the week.)
The smaller of my math groups (6 kids) meets in an alcove in the hallway while the rest of the class does their centers. The larger group (15 kids) has math in the room at their desks while the other 6 do their center work. Each of them works 1 on 1 with my assistant once a week and usually 1-2 of them receive speech/OT/etc. during this time, so it's only about 4 kids working independently around the edges of the room and the noise level is very manageable. Hope this helps you a little bit
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