Must do may do centers

Since I started teaching last January, I have struggled with how to manage both my Reading and Math Centers. For a long time, I just went with your typical center rotations that were timed for 15-20 minutes each and the students rotated through them over 2 days, but I was never truly happy with how they were working. I felt like I wasn't getting enough time with some of lower groups and that some students (who really need the practice that center activities offer) just were not getting…

One of the things teachers often struggle with is the idea of teaching small groups. Even if a teacher knows exactly what to do within the groups, there is the lingering question of “What are the other students doing while I am meeting with small groups?”. This is where “Must-dos and May-dos” come into play. #free #2ndgrade #1stgrade #mathcenters #daily5

Have you ever tried of a "must-do" / "may-do" system for managing your literacy centers? Learn how to use this centers management strategy in this post!

Are you starting centers in kindergarten or first grade? Learn how to manage the chaos of centers and make centers the best part of the day in your kindergarten or first grade classroom here. This blog post is full of classroom management tips for centers and free centers classroom management resources to make math and literacy centers a success. Learn how to start centers, introduce and teach expectations for centers, and what to do when students finish centers early in your classroom.

Grab this FREE Must Do May Do Guide that includes everything you need to start up your reading centers in a Must Do May Do format instead of rotating reading centers. You and your students will love this format. Have more time to teach your guided reading groups while students work at their own paces. Check it out!

A set of visual aids to help manage your class independent activities. Use the ‘Must-Do Mustard’ to show the activities children must do, ‘Catch-Up Ketchup’ for children who need to do catch-up work and ‘May-Do Mayo’ for children finish early.

Why I Can't Do Guided Math - How I Organize my Math Instruction in my 2nd grade classroom, centers, whole group, small group, must-do, may-do, formative assessments

I intended to blog last night, but it was quite a day. My two-year-old was sent home sick 20 minutes after he got to day care. The Irishman picked him up and they had a great day napping at home together. We’d planned a trip to the pumpkin patch and to the library this afternoon, but we decided to keep the little guy home for a good nap. He still isn’t quite 100%. My almost-four-year old headed off dressed up in her Ariel outfit for an afternoon of fun with her Daddy. My husband is a…

Littlest Learners / Clutter-Free Classroom Blog: 3: Whatever Wedensday- A Hodge Podge of Goodness

Make center time in your classroom one that is filled with engaged learning and exploration. As students work independently you are ready to work with reading groups or do small group instruction. But getting your centers set up is the beginning. This blog post details your step by step process for setting up a center rotation that your students will love. It includes literacy center and math center ideas as well as tips for organizing centers all year long.