If you are a primary teacher, you likely run centers in your classroom, or have at some point in the classroom. But maybe… centers feel impossible to you. Maybe they feel like the thing you should be doing but just can’t quite nail down. Maybe you are a new teacher and implementing centers feels intimidating. Maybe you are a veteran teacher and you have given up on running centers because you just don’t have enough help. Well, I may not be able to solve every problem you have with running a rotation style block in your classroom, but today I hope to offer some additional ideas you maybe haven’t previously considered. This is a two part series so be sure to check out part two, coming soon.
Traditional Centers
When most teachers think of centers, they think of 5-6 activities planned each day of the week. Students sit at one center for a given amount of time, complete a task and then move to the next one when time is up. Maybe you have a math center everyday, an ELA center, an art center and a writing or reading center. This is likely the most widely practiced version of centers, and it can be great!
This might work for you if you have a dedicated classroom aide, if you have lots of reliable parent volunteers, and you feel that your students can easily complete the tasks assigned to them. If this is the path you choose, here are some things to consider:
- At the beginning of the year, make sure to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Many students come to us having never been in a structured environment before. Sure, those that went to preschool may have some semblance of what it means to be in a classroom. But for most, this will be one of the first time they have to go along with what an authority figure tells them to do… at the time that they tell them to do it… for an extended period of time… almost everyday!
- So how do we practice? Start with play. We love play. I could get up on my play soapbox for HOURS and tell you how important it is, but we’ll save that for another day. When planning centers, play is your friend. At the beginning of the year, you’ll need to let them play to practice. Usually when kids play, they decide what to do and how long to do it for. But centers provide a whole shift on that idea for a child. As a baby step, give them toys scattered around the room, assign your groups and set a timer. All you are doing here is practicing staying at the table for a certain amount of time, and not getting up!
- Next, you’ll have to practice rotating. Yikes! This part can be really scary for teachers and confusing for a child. Make sure the directionality of your rotation makes sense. Your students will get the hang of it eventually, but a visual cue may be helpful to start. At the very least, stop everyone and everything before you rotate. Talk to each table about where they are going next, and have them look and point to where their table will be rotating to. Make sure YOU also know where they were at and where they are going, so you can relocate any wanderers. Often, even if students are pointing and looking at their next location, their mind is zoned in on the center they are really really excited about, and suddenly their brain takes their body over there instead of where they should be! It’s okay you guys, they’re still pretty new here. Expect it, plan for it, and correct it! Usually, I place a color coded paper in the hands of one student in each group. This paper has every group member’s name on it and travels with them from table to table. This is honestly more a tool for me than for them, so that I can easily identify anyone who is out of place and help them get back to the right location.
Finally, you’ll need to identify which (and how many) centers you’ll plan for that will require adult support. This might be the hardest part, and may be the deciding factor on whether or not you are able to implement centers in this way. This is honestly the part of centers that deters folks from even trying it at all! If you do have plenty of help, or your students are capable of participating in your planned tasks independently, then go ahead! You are off to the races and ready to roll.
Now, if that STILL sounds impossible, do not fear. Take a look at part two and see what other versions of centers I have experimented with over the years. Maybe one will be a good fit for you!
