How I Manage My Stations & Visual Plans!!

Last year I thought I had this station management thing all figured out BUT come to find out... not so much so I changed it again! Here is how I am going to manage my stations this year (unless it is a complete disaster--which I hope not--In teacher dream land it seems like it's goes to work!!).

I will start off with my station rotation board. I have 10 stations that students need to complete each week. I only make a few of them intense and the other ones are more simplistic/review stations where they are not having to sort cards and complete a recording form. I will always have about five stations that are considered my 'main, heavy duty' stations!

Each day students will clip on the white card and choose the station that they are going to complete. Once students finish their chosen station then they will choose another station.  Students are not able to join a station though that already has three people present at the station. I will always encourage students to choose one of the top 5 stations in the first row first for the day-those are the 'main' ones that have cards to sort.

Here is a close up of the station and then the white card that students will place their clip on.

 

Students will be responsible for checking off their name when they complete a station so they don't accidentally return to it that week. (Yes, this idea is from Cara Carroll) ;)

 I laminated the class list and taped it to the top of the station tub.

 

 

I have a small room so I can't have the pretty bins on a whole bunch of shelves soo.. I bought this beaut' at Joanne's last year! I love it and it worked so well last year!

 

This is the inside of one of the tubs. So, students that are at 'write the room' will just have to grab a recording form and a clipboard to write on.

(This is part of a write the room packet for first grade that I am working on--stay tuned)

So, this one is perfect to keep in the bin.

The student's names are on the lid of this one as well so when they finish they will check off their name.

 

 

Same idea here for my ABC station. Cards are in a bag. I am currently working on an ABC station packet as well!

 

 

 

 

 I do have room to have 3 of my stations set up for the kids throughout the week. They are my 'meatier' stations so it works nicely. The stations that are set up have the student list right beside it. There is a dry erase marker right next to the station and when students complete it they will put a line through their name.

 

 The same idea here: this is my writing station and right beside it is the class list.

 

For my smarty pants students who will finish these stations quickly I copies Mrs. Cara's idea and I am having 'desert bins.' When students finish they have a choice of 3 additional activities that they can complete.

They will need to use a checklist for these too so they don't keep doing the same one over and over and over and OVER again! :)

 

They are very, very simple. I have their spelling words for the week on flash cards in the bags. Bin 1 is a short a game we learned already. Bin 2 has word tiles and spelling flash cards. Bin 3 has white board strips and their spelling words. I will switch these out with other fun things throughout the year.

 

 

 

Now... here are my visual plans. My stations are included this week so you can see the kinds of activities we are doing to kick-off our literacy stations! Wish me luck... I hope it's not an epic fail! ahh!!... I'm nervous/excited!

 

Click HERE to see it in google docs!

 

 

Link up with Dee Dee to share your visuals!!

 

 

Have a great Sunday and a great school week!!