Setting Up Math!!

I am linking up with the amazing Kristen over at Easy Teaching Tools for a three part series she is doing on math centers!!  I love Kristen, and I love math centers!!

This is my first year doing math centers, and I am learning as I am going, but I can say that I have seen so much more growth in my students this year than I have in the past.  I also know that my students are ENJOYING math way more than they have every year.

I have a class of 23 math students, so I group my students in six groups.  My groups can vary between 2 and 5 students depending on what we are working on, and who is out of town or absent.  I put my kids names up on mini white boards that I bought at Office Max this summer.  I have their names printed on card stock with magnets on the back.  This helps make sure that I can move them around quickly, and easily.

On this day I only had them in four groups.  I used the pink rectangles to block out their names.

One of my favorite math centers are my Marcy Cook Tiles!  I love these!!  They are my favorite math activity and something that is totally differentiated and takes no extra set up or effort from me!  I have them all set in these plastic bins, and just pull out three sets for my students to work on.  My students all have a set of recording sheets so they know what they are working on.

I then write out my rotations on the white board in the front of the room so that way the students know where they are going next.  This helps keep them going, and I don't have to tell them where to go after every rotation.

We only have one hour for math so I typically get through three math rotations a day, so students go through all six rotations every two days.

I keep all of my math games in folders in a filing cabinet.  This way I know where they are, and I am able to keep them together.  I have things separated by what month they would go with, and then again by what subject or concept they are focused on.

I keep all of my math manipulatives in my bins that I grabbed from Target during the holiday season! I love them!  They are amazing, and help me keep everything organized.  I already know how I will change them for next year, but for now they work great.  Students know where things are as well, and know that they can go to find the manipulative that they want to use.

I am excited for this linky with Kristen and I hope to hear lots of great ideas from others!!  I can't wait for the next two parts too!!