Gentlemen (and Women)....Start Your Stations!

I happen to think that Chapter 3 is one of the most profound of all the chapters. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't like change.  It is uncomfortable and I just don't like the unknown.  Debbie really spelled out exactly how to get started.  She gave me the "baby steps" that I will need to be successful.  Her information is so clear that it is like I am watching it on a video. 

Although I will be moving to second grade next year, I am preparing for my class by thinking of them as "VERY advanced Kinders".  Since we only have one class per grade level, I have actually had all the kids before.  I already know most of their strengths and weaknesses.  This class needs lots of structure and I am preparing things that will help me give them choice and differentiation within a structure. 

In the past my students have loved it when we launched a new station (we call ours workplaces).   Jessica Meacham used to have a picture on her website with balloons and celebration items near the new station when she introduced it.  I'm not sure I will go that far, but I do think maybe putting it in a special container and keeping it "under wraps" so to speak will get the students excited and thinking about what the new station will be.  I'm thinking about maybe a brightly wrapped copy paper box that is big enough to hold my containers. I will wrap the box and the lid separately so I can put the station inside the box and close the lid before the students arrive.  I can feel the excitement already!  They will be given the "gift of learning"!!

I love the idea of the class writing rules for what the room should Look Like, Sound Like, and Feel Like during Math Station time.  Again I turned to my friend Jessica.  She has some great printables for Looks Like, Feels Like, and Sounds Like for her Literacy Centers.  I plan on printing those out and pasting them to chart paper.  I will then have the students help me write the rules for our station time.  I will also add pictures as the students demonstrate the correct way to follow the rules.

Pictures found under Independent Reading/Writing Time Expectations

I've created printables for the I Can and Math Talk cards.  I plan on having copies of these and storing them in the clear 3 drawer containers from Sterlite that I will place where we introduce the stations.  That way I can just grab one and have the students help me add the ideas.  I have made them in several sizes so just print the one that fits your containers.

I Can Printables

Math Talk Printables


I am still grappling with the Management Boards.  My favorite so far has been to use a circular pan.  I drilled a hole in the center and made posterboard circles that we turn each rotation.  The stations are on magnets along the outer edge of the pan.

This is an old picture from several years ago.  You can make as many colored sections as you need to.  We just turn the wheel at each rotation and that group knows to work on that station.  I will need to make a wheel with much smaller sections since I will have many more students this year.  I used colored sections at Kindergarten but I will probably do something different this year. 

Choosing partners is also an area where I am still thinking.  I like to give the students the choice, but the kids that I will have this year don't always make productive choices.  I will probably start out the year making the choices for them, and then letting them "earn" the privilege to chose.  I sometimes like to do random choices too.  Several years ago I found the neatest set of grouping cards online.  Unfortunately the cards were for groups of 30 students.  I also could not find the author on the cards and even with many online searches, I was unable to find the cards or the person who made them. Since I could not share the link for those, I decided to create a set for my class (22 students).

Grouping Cards

I created the sharing time cards that were in the book on page 63, but the graphics that I used I don't have permission to share.  If someone needs them, I can take off the graphics. 

I hope someone else will get use out of the items that I have made.  I will continue to think and will add anything else that I come up with later on in the week.  I LOVE this book study and it came at the perfect time as I clean out my old classroom and set up my new one!

Enjoy!