Math center organization is the key to my sanity as I journeyed into the wondrous world of math centers! It not only keeps me in line, but it optimizes student learning.

Now, I have to say I have tried Daily 5 Math, BUILD and just about any other guided math/center framework.  I don't think I ever saw it as a must do.  Needless to say, there was never enough time so it was pushed aside.  I started to follow Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits and learned A LOT about math centers.  Reagan is an inspiration in the land of math centers!  Did I say I actually got to meet her in New York at the TpT meetup?  #rockstar

So now here I am in 2015 bound and determined to make math centers matter.  I learned that simple works.  My flexible groups and centers started off on hand written on index cards.  (Gasp!!) I quickly saw the benefits of small group instruction during math and started on making something more permanent. My students voted and wanted to use animal names for our groups which gave me a starting point.

I write students names in dry erase marker because the groups are fluid and students can move up and down levels, depending on skill assessments.  I tend to move students in math than reading because our units change every two weeks in our county. So the same student might understand fractions, but struggle with addition and subtraction.  That's ok.

 

 

I then selected the 5 rotating centers that I would use.  I chose to incorporate Interactive Journals in my Teacher's Group to help my struggling kids.  This class in particular needs a great deal of scaffolding and this gives me the time to do it in math.  I am lucky to have 4 computers and 4 I pads in my classroom. 

 

Now that my students are grouped and I have the center cards set, I add them to a small pocket chart. (The ones from the Target dollar section are a great size!)  I remove the bottom center card, move each remaining card one down one place and move the bottom card to the top of the rotation.