How to Set up Math Centers Before Students Ever Walk Through the Door

Have you ever spent the entire first month of school teaching your class procedures instead of math? With a little preparation before school begins, you can save yourself hours and hours later. You CAN have centers ready before students arrive and you can do it all from your couch while binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix. 

1. Decide on Your Math Center Structure First

Here are some things to think about if you are wondering what structure you want to use.

• How many centers will your students rotate between?
• How often will centers rotate?
• How many students will be in each group?
• Will centers be independent, teacher-led, or partner based

Here is an example structure that I love to use in my classroom.

I chose these math centers:

1. Independent math: This is a spiral review worksheet & then they could work on a color by math skill page (there are a lot of free ones online...I just search for free color by number 3-digit addition or whatever skill I am focusing on...which is usually a repeat of the skill from the previous unit so they can be more independent and keep reviewing.

2. Online math: This is a math app that we are required to have our students use

3. Grow in math: I used my teacher's aide to have students work on review or extension skills

These are the ones for every day. My students do four centers for 15 minutes each every day. You may be thinking, but that just adds up to 3 centers, and you would be right! (Great math, by the way!) My students have one extra rotation and they will do one of the following math centers every day, but it will be a different one every day Monday-Thursday and we do not do centers on Friday. Here's what they rotate through:

1. Math games: students play math games that focus on a skill from the previous unit if possible

2. Math facts: students will work on math facts through games and/or speed drills

3. Math around the room: math task cards are set up around the room and students love this because they can get up and walk around 

4. Read about math: I love collecting books that tie in to the different units of study in math. Students spend some time reading these stories

Keep your structure simple during the first month as you practice routines.

2. Organize Your Math Center Materials

I have two of those three-drawer  storage units that I use. In one set, I put extra games and the students stay out of that set. In the other set, I place games that they can currently choose from and rotate them from the other set of drawers when it is time to use them. I teach multi-grade, so I have one bin for each grade level and their games are in their drawer. I train them as to which drawer is theirs. If you do not have multi-grades in your class I would suggest a color system for each drawer (for differentiating) and that could be for high learners (extension games), on-level learners, and struggling learners with more remedial games. Or you could use one drawer for each month of the quarter and work ahead and have three months prepped at a time, rotating the games up to the top drawer when it is time to use them (if you are not differentiating).

Make sure that each game includes whatever you need so that you will not be interrupted.

• Directions
• All game pieces
• Answer keys
• Dice or spinners

Pencils or white board markers

3. Prepare Student Groups Ahead of Time

Some things to consider when getting groups ready are:

• Student ability level
• Personalities of your students
• Behavior needs

Create a list of your groups. Make a rotation chart (this will save your sanity). Have a backup plan if something is not working out. You can just expect that you will have to make adjustments after the first week, once you see how the flow goes and how the students work together. 

4. Create Center Expectations

Be sure to teach your students:

• Voice levels: This is a time when you should be free to teach small groups and too much noise can be a huge distraction.
• Movement procedures: When the are rotating between centers, how should they change? Are they going to leave the game scattered or place it back in the drawer? Are they going to walk or run and shove? Trust me when I say, you will need some practice with this, but setting firm expectations is helpful. And, be sure to stick to your expectations, if you let anything slide, it's over...have and keep high expectations.
• What to do when finished: If a student finishes at their center, what is the expectation? Are they moving automatically to the next one? Should they play that game again? Should they go and chat with a friend or poke them with their pencil? You need to plan for everything. Or your students will do what they want because you did not give them that expectation.
• How will they ask for help: I would suggest that you train them well so that they have a good idea on how to do the activity and having them work on center work that is one unit behind usually helps them know the skills better, but under no circumstances (ok, maybe if the school is on fire or someone is bleeding profusely) should they interrupt your small group. They need to have another go-to person in the class that they can ask for help. That may be a teacher's aide (if you are one of the lucky ones) or maybe you have a couple of students leaders (these should be your high-achieving math kids so they can actually help in times of need).

Create visuals:

• Anchor charts can be invaluable tools for helping students remember math processes.
• Posters of math facts or skills are also helpful.
• Procedure cards can help students remember what they should do at each center and what to do if they finish up early. A couple of great things for early finishers is having a table out with a puzzle going on it. I like 100, 300, or 500 piece puzzles...building on as the year goes along. You could also use extreme dot-to-dots which go way beyond the 100.

Remember, the most important thing you can do for your sanity, and that of your students', is to practice the expectations and procedures before you expect independence.

5. Build Student Independence

Create systems so that your students will not need you for every single question. Here's some ways you can build that independence your students need to be successful:

• Make sure your games and activities have direction cards.
• Have example problems where students can see the process.
• Use QR codes for directions.
• Let them get support from other students when they still need more support

The goal for centers is for them to run independently even when you are in small groups.

6. Prepare for Accountability

Students should have some way to show what they are learning. Here are a few ways to successfully do that:

• Recording sheets can become documented evidence of student learning.
• Math journals are another way that students can show their thinking and what they know.
• Exit tickets are a quick way for students to give you one example or explanation.
• Digital submissions would be a fun way for students to show you their learning.
• Quick teacher check-ins are more informal, but provide a powerful punch if you can swing it time-wise.

Accountability will help to keep your students focused and provides valuable assessment data for you (don't forget that everything you do should be driven by data to best move kids forward).

7. Start Small

Don't try to launch six or eight centers at once on day one. Instead:

• Introduce just one center at a time and practice it thoroughly. 
• Model exactly what you expect and keep those expectations tight.
• Practice rotations with your students and practice the clean up process. 
• Reflect and adjust on what is going well and what is not...do not release your students into the center world too early. 

Building your center routines slowly and with intention leads to long-term success.

Conclusion

Successful math centers begin long before the first student arrives at your door on the first day of school. With clear organization, strong procedures, and purposeful planning, your centers can become one of the most productive parts of your math block. 

 

If you are looking for some center games to get your class started, I have so many to choose from, but here are some of our favorites. 

Rounding Centers

Place Value Centers

Addition Centers

Subtraction Centers

Multiplication Centers

Division Centers

Fraction Centers

Engaging Math Block Ideas that Keep Students Excited About Learning

Last school year, I really focused on creating an engaging math block, one that would get my students excited about learning. Here's a look at what I am going to do again and what I am going to add next year for even more engagement.

Keep Engaging Students and Building Math Review Through Math Center Stations

I began with a set of centers in mind and started adding and creating things to make those centers a reality. I want to keep doing that. Last summer I worked on creating 5 themes for my math block and I kept running with that throughout the year. I created a few center game sets that would pair nicely with some of those themes. I want to finish off those math center games so that I have one for each theme. 

 Here's a look at the center games for my Multiplication Carnival/Circus theme.

Here's a look at one of the games for my Place Value Safari math centers theme.

Keep Engaging Students Through Math Escape Rooms

These were a hit with my class. I created 5 themed math escape rooms, one for place value, and the other four for the four basic math operations. My students kept asking for more. So, I am hoping to create even more to go with standards like area/perimeter, data, geometry, etc. These were perfect to do at the end of a unit as a review before the test. Students had built enough knowledge to be equipped to work through the challenges.

Here's a peek at a few of the activities in my Place Value Safari escape room.

These three different levels of activities are included in my Dive-iding Down Under themed escape room.

This space-themed addition escape room was a lot of fun, especially when students earned Star Bucks they could use at the Galactic Cafe'.

These were from my Fraction Math Mystery. 

Keep Engaging Students Through Fact Practice

I created a file for each multiplication fact. Inside the file are games and quizzes for students to practice the fact set they are currently learning. They could practice with a friend, or they could even do some of the games and activities independently. 

Multiplication Dots & Boxes game gets students focused on just one set of facts at a time. 

Multiplication Draw & Trace can be played with a partner, or with a one-minute timer alone.

Keep Engaging Students Through Project Based Learning in our Math Block

I purchased a PBL for math and it was highly engaging for many of my students. They wanted me to purchase additional ones, which sadly I did not do. However, I have visions of creating my own PBL units for math standards that will go directly with my math block themes. That way I can have a cohesive product line that I can use in my classroom that not only has escape rooms and math centers, but also has math PBLs as well. I hope I can get a couple of those done over the summer. 

If you are interested in spicing up your math block too, you can click the links below the pictures to be taken to those products. You could even check out my full store by clicking this link as well. 

The Truth About Teaching Upper Elementary (That Nobody Warns You About)

As a new teacher, I knew I wanted to teach the littles. My first teaching gig had me in a classroom with 7 first and second graders and I had 4th grade join in for social studies and Bible (I have always taught in private Christian schools). By 2nd semester, 2 more students came and I added third grade to my classroom. From then on, my first 12 years of teaching were mostly in the lower grades of elementary with often combinations ranging somewhere between K-2. Once in a while I would go up to fourth. 

I didn't find my upper elementary sweet spot until I started a new job and ended up with just 3rd and 4th. It was then that I realized that first grade was always my hardest challenge. They are expected to be able to read and write for much of the curriculum, but more times than not, they simply cannot do it. So that is when upper elementary became my jam. I have taught combos of 3/4, 3-5, and 4-6. All of it has been a blessing and a lot of fun. But there are also some downsides to every grade. 

1. The Pile of Grading that you get in Upper Elementary is more Challenging

I would say this is the number one biggest challenges when teaching in the upper elementary classroom. It is a lot. I have tried different systems to try to alleviate the grading load and STILL it is a lot. I have a particularly hard time with the math and writing. Those two really slow me down. 

One thing I have done is while in small groups, I try to have students work on as many problems as possible. While they work, I also grade the problems as they go. That takes away many of the problems and cuts the work down later. It has been super helpful. 

2. The Endless Copies

If I'm being honest, I probably make the most copies of anyone at my school. There may only be three to four teachers, but still, I earn that title. I look for ways to enhance my curriculum and that often means making extra copies instead of just being textbook driven. I look for ways to make things more engaging and sometimes that comes with extra copies...there's no way around it. 

3. 4th Graders are Hilarious

They are coming into their own and their personalities are coming out. They are stretching their wings as class clown, comedian, and jokester. They say and do things that are funny...and sometimes a bit over the edge. They are unpredictable. They are seeking for approval from their peers and sometimes that means attention-seeking behaviors in the classroom. 

4. Upper Elementary is Exhausting, but Amazing

Even with the downsides of more intensity and more grading, it is STILL pretty amazing. I enjoy the depth of questions I get. They are curious creatures asking questions that I sometimes have to admit not knowing the answers to. They are curious about your life as a teacher and tell you about theirs. They grow so much and you get a front row seat. You can push them higher academically and there is so much you can do with their curriculum. They are pretty amazing.

5. The Weird Things Kids Say

Kids say weird things...especially at this age when their vocabulary is growing and they do not know how to always use words properly. One year when we got to our economic unit, we were gearing up for our annual marketplace where kids create businesses and open a market for the rest of the school. Kids can either run their own business as a sole proprietorship, or they can run their business with a friend, creating a partnership. 

On this particular day, students were coming up to my table one at a time telling me what they were selling or what service they would be providing. That's when it happened...One of my students came up and when I asked what he would be selling at his business, he loudly proclaimed, "Panties!" Trying to keep my face from changing I said, "Panties?" To which he reiterated, "Yes, panties!" A little quieter and with a question on my face and in my voice I questioned again, "Panties?" By this time, he could sense that something was a bit off. I continued by asking if he knew what panties were. I proceeded to tell him that panties were girls' underwear. 

Immediately he blushed, ran off to his partner and stumbled back a few seconds later saying, "Not panties...patties." He was going to sell Jamaican patties. I chuckled and all was well. But I have never forgotten that fun moment. Each year when marketplace rolls around, I always remember the panties...LOL...and a smile comes to my face. 

Not only are their funny moments like this, but the kids at this age are into all the trendy words that are thrown around in their generation. Things like "That's cap!" and the infamous, "Six-Seven!" They love connecting with other kids by using the latest trend-inspired words. 

If you have never had the chance or taken the opportunity to teach in the middle...to the upper elementary kids, you should definitely give it a go. It really is a lot of fun.  

Countdown the School Year

Have you ever done an end-of-the-year countdown? I love doing this with my class. I have tried many different ideas and all of them bring a level of fun as we celebrate the year and wrap it up together. 

1. A Simple Countdown Chain

I went really simple again this year. With my own child finishing up her senior year, it is too much to go all out in this season. So, I sat down and created a chain with the number of days left. We began at 10 and, as of today, there are four links left. Kids love just getting to remove one piece each day and seeing the chain shrink. 

2. A Bulletin Board Countdown 

Some years, I have gone all out with creating a countdown that features a beach scene on my bulletin board. Each day we remove one piece and under each piece is an activity for us to do together as a class. This one took a bit more work, but it was a lot of fun!

3. Balloon Countdown

Another fun idea is to blow up several balloons to count down the end of the year. I stuff a slip of paper inside of each balloon with a surprise or activity for that day. Students enjoy taking turns and popping one balloon each day to see what is inside as we countdown to summer vacation. 

4. Scratch-off Countdown

One year I created these fun scratch-off countdown cards. I saw something similar for a welcome card for the year announcing things that the class would be doing or learning for the year. That's when the idea struck me that you could also do that same idea, but to countdown to the end of the year for the last five days. Under each scratch-off is a little activity or prize for the students. They absolutely loved these and guarded them with their lives as we counted down together. 

If you are interested in the scratch-offs, you can find those right here. 

Five different styles include:

• Splashing into Summer (Waterpark-Themed)
• Countdown to Summer (Beach-Themed)
• Bringing in the Summer (Luau-Themed)
• Cheering for Summer (Football-Themed)
• Blast off to Summer (Space-Themed)

These are editable so you can add your own activity or prize beneath each scratch-off. Also, they come in full color as well as blackline to save ink. 

You can find the scratch-off dots over here at amazon.  These are just stickers that you place directly over the text. So fun for kids to scratch these off and reveal the prize. 

Whatever you choose to do, or not do this year, I hope you have a wonderful end to your school year!

State Floats

This year was the year we covered the 5 regions of the US in social studies. I love studying the five regions. There is just so much you can do with it. As we "toured" the US, one region at a time, I knew I wanted my kids to do a project to end the year in a big way. That's when I ran across the idea of having each student create a state float to show off their learning about one state in the union. 

I gave the students instructions (way ahead of time). This float had a lot of requirements. of course a few started right away, but there were several who did not start until the week before it was due. 

I contemplate the grading of projects like this because you always have several types of learners. You have the ones who obviously had parent involvement more than student involvement (as my former principal told one such student duo, "Mom, you get an 'A' and (looking at the child) you get an 'F.'") Then there is the child whose parent realizes that it is the student's project and helps in the hard or dangerous spots such as running the hot glue gun. And of course there are the students who very obviously had no parent help or direction. They were left to figure it out completely on their own and it shows. There were students who got right to work the very day you handed the project out and students who spent the final hours before it was due trying to play catch-up but it was too little too late. And of course, there is the child who did not bring in any float at all, despite the fact that you sent parents notes, texts, personal messages, etc. These are the things I struggle to muddle through when considering what each child deserves. Thankfully rubrics help to even the playing field by putting the focus on actual requirements. It takes the guess work out of grading projects like these. 

I am going to share a few of the projects here. Enjoy our "Parade of States."

Mother's Day and Father's Day in the Upper Elementary Classroom

Take Mother's and Father's Day to the next level with meaningful activities this year. Create this booklet with your students that will most likely make moms cry and Dad's may even shed a tear as well. 

Students will create a poem, write a narrative, create an opinion piece, write a descriptive paragraph, fill out an information sheet, and make a portrait. This will be a special keepsake that parents will treasure forever! 

You can save even more by bundling the Mother's and Father's Day projects together. 

Click the link. 

Click here