To Terri By dish

Hey! Your website is really cute!
LOVE your binders.

I spend a lot of the first day modeling and practicing my routines and expectations as well as discussing rules. Sure it's drier than dirt but I have all year to be fun and the first day is the only time I'll have a truly captive audience!

Like Cathy Dee, I ease into centers. We start w/ open ended Choice Time which is mostly just exploration of manipulatives and a couple cut and paste things. Then I add a "Have To" - some activity to complete before choices. Next I'll move to half and half time - half the students do a teacher guided activity and half do choices w/ a "have to". This all takes 4 - 6 weeks depending on students (and parents pestering to help! ) Then we divide into 4 groups and start my real centers rotation (choices and have to's are embedded in the rotation).

I know you are going to be *way* organized for this year, lol!!!
Trish