Update on Math Centers

Howdy!!  It has been a few weeks since I started the amazing math centers in my classroom.  I wanted to give you an update on my experience thus far.

Tub Center

So far, I am LOVING them!!  I can see where this is going to help my kiddos master the skills instead of just learning them for the test and forgetting.  

I have to use our basal book.  This has taken me some thinking about how I could still incorporate centers everyday plus teach the material in the chapter.  I think I have finally figured it out.

Here is a run down of my morning.

Students come into class around 8:15 to 8:30.  They start their calendar folder and/or start cutting out their work for their notebook. 

Right at 8:30 I begin calendar.  We do calendar until 8:45 with a short break in-between for announcements. 

Then at 8:45-9:15 we watch the video for our basal lesson and complete the worksheet that goes with the lesson.  (I was trying to complete the back at my guided math center, but 10 minutes wasn't enough time for all the groups.)  I try my best to get finished with the lesson and worksheet by 9:15.  Some days it works and some days doesn't.

Then at 9:15 or whenever we get finished with whole group math we go to our centers.

I have five centers that are now working.

1- My center

2- Tubs- games and various activities on different math concepts.

3- Computer- Xtramath

4- Notebook

5- IPads

This took my kiddos a little time to completely understand the math centers.  I thought it would be an easy transition since we do the Daily 5 "centers."  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but I do think it was because our schedule was off after we got back from break. (We had one full week, then a week with 3 half days.)

I kept on my kids about their centers and this past week when I looked out from my centers, I was amazed by what I saw.  All the students were engaged in their learning.  They were super excited about the centers.

As far as my center, I change it up to what we need to work on each day.  Sometimes it is reviewing for a test, learning the previous concepts better, incorporating more money, learn a new tub or whatever skill I see the kiddos would benefit from we work on. 

I know this is one time throughout the day the kids are really enjoying.

Did you know that you can use dry erase markers on a table and they will come off?  I was super scared at first but at the end of the day I just use a baby wipe and it turned all clean.  

My students thought this was the best thing ever to write on the desks.

This week, our weekly assessment started having the students respond to one of the questions on their test.  The sentence has to be a complete sentence.  We practiced writing complete sentences.  This one cracks me up so I had to get a picture of it.

Have a Wolfelicious day!

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