Organization Station-- Centers

Many of the teams we coach have time dedicated to their day to small group and 1:1 rotations frequently called "Centers". Today's Organization Station will share some of the great ideas we have seen in the region for organizing staff and students during these centers rotations.

When organizing the classroom layout for centers, some teachers have a designated location for each center.

Rachel Hatton
Normandy Elementary, Centerville

Jessica Ward
Rolling Hills Elementary, Northeastern

Brittany Sword
Valley Elementary, Beavercreek

Jody Chick
Yellow Springs High School, Yellow Springs

Other teachers use the same areas for multiple centers and will use visuals to indicate all of the different uses.

Jennifer McGowan
Smith Middle School, Vandalia-Butler

Kate Tipple
Helke Elementary, Vandalia-Butler

There are also teachers who use generic visuals to mark one location so that it can be used for a variety of centers.

Jessica Ward
Rolling Hills Elementary, Northeastern

To help students transition during centers times, many teachers use location-based schedules.

This team combines structured work with their student schedules and designates the tasks to be completed using numbers next to each scheduled subjects.

Carrie Prickett
Jane Chance Elementary, Miamisburg

Toni Mallott
Jane Chance Elementary, Miamisburg

We love this use of schedule cross-bars for the centers times.

Emily Ottmar
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River Local Schools

For students who are readers, a written checklist is a great tool for organizing centers time. In this resource room, students rotate to different centers daily so each day has a different written checklists which students can get each day when they come in for their intervention block.

Sandy Beck
Broadway Elementary, Tipp City

In some classrooms, the centers may only change daily so a chart can be used to group students and let them know where to go.

Kate Pennington
Kettering Early Childhood Education Center, Kettering

It is important to organize staff each day as well and to provide them with schedules and reminders. Adults need visuals too!

Amy Beanblossom
Arcanum-Butler Elementary, Arcanum-Butler

Amy Beanblossom
Arcanum-Butler Elementary, Arcanum-Butler

Carrie Prickett
Jane Chance Elementary, Miamisburg