Centers rotations are a popular instructional strategy in many of the classrooms we coach. They are a great way to provide individualized, differentiated instruction to a group of students with diverse needs. They can also be a great way to utilize classroom staff in a meaningful way through leading skill practice groups or monitoring independent work activities. Today's Organization Station features center rotation schedules for both staff and students.
Planning Logistics
Before developing a schedule, you need to consider the logistics of your centers rotations.
- Who?- Decide which students and staff will be included. Group students as needed.
- What?- Determine what each staff member will do during your rotations. For rotations led by support staff, determine how you will communicate what they will do during that center. Decide what students who are not at a staff-led center will do. Make sure this activity is something they can do independently
- Where?- Decide where each center will be located. Determine how these locations will be clearly defined for students.
- When?- When will your center rotations occur? How long will each rotation be? Allow for transition time when planning.
Staff Schedules
Now that you have determined the logistics, you will need to communicate with staff to let them know which students will be assigned to them at each rotation. Each staff member should be given a copy of their schedule and the schedule should be posted in a central location for staff to reference if needed.
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| Amy Beanblossom Arcanum Elementary, Arcanum |
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| Carrie Prickett Jane Chance Elementary, Miamisburg |
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| Sarah Moore Warder Park Wayne Elementary, Springfield |
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| Simply Visual |
Student Schedules
An essential part of centers rotations is communicating the expectations to students so that they know where to go during transitions and what to do at each center. In some classrooms, students refer to a center chart which lets them know the sequence of their rotations.
In this 1st grade classroom, student groups were assigned a superhero to correspond with the class theme. The student names were listed next to the superhero icon and then the various center locations were represented with icons. At the end of a rotation, the teacher used a wireless doorbell to cue students to go to their next center location.
In other classrooms, students may need more guidance for transitions so staff uses a location-based schedule where students can match a schedule icon to the corresponding location. At the end of the rotation time, an auditory cue signals students to check their schedules again and match the next icon to the next location.
In this preschool classroom, students had free choice over where they wanted to play but they needed a visual to help them "check in" to the center where they would stay until the next rotation.
An essential part of centers rotations is communicating the expectations to students so that they know where to go during transitions and what to do at each center. In some classrooms, students refer to a center chart which lets them know the sequence of their rotations.
In this 1st grade classroom, student groups were assigned a superhero to correspond with the class theme. The student names were listed next to the superhero icon and then the various center locations were represented with icons. At the end of a rotation, the teacher used a wireless doorbell to cue students to go to their next center location.
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| Megan Kelly Beavertown Elementary, Kettering |
In other classrooms, students may need more guidance for transitions so staff uses a location-based schedule where students can match a schedule icon to the corresponding location. At the end of the rotation time, an auditory cue signals students to check their schedules again and match the next icon to the next location.
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| Christine Scarborough Tecumseh Elementary, Xenia |
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| Jennifer McGowan Smith Middle School, Vandalia |
In this preschool classroom, students had free choice over where they wanted to play but they needed a visual to help them "check in" to the center where they would stay until the next rotation.
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| Brandi Howard Rosa Parks ELC Preschool, Dayton |
For more ideas on organizing your classroom's center rotations see our previous post:
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