Teaching Strategies

Here you have some tips to work in your clasrooms!!!!

Learning Centers

     A learning center is a small area within the classroom where students work alone or interact with others, using instructional materials to explore one or more subject areas. It is a place where a variety of activities introduce, reinforce, and/or extend learning, often without the assistance of the classroom teacher.   

  

 Before Students Arrive:

     Get ready for your first day with learning centers by taking a trial run yourself. The following checklist can help you make sure your room is ready to go.

•    Color-coded name tags
I began by dividing the class into four groups, equal in size and balanced in gender. I made name tags using four colors, one for each group. If you're implementing centers at the start of the school year, you can place these name tags on the door along with a welcome sign.

•    First-day activities
I selected activities for the four centers, choosing activities that students would be able to complete without my assistance and those that would help students get to know one another. These types of activities will also enable you to focus more attention on management.

•    Schedule board
I wanted students to being using a schedule board from day one. To reinforce the groupings, match schedule board card colors to the color-coded name tags.

•    Tote trays
Label students' tote trays so that they know where to store their belongings. This is especially important if separate students desks are no longer part of your class design.

 
•    Letter home
I wrote a letter to parents sharing my view of teaching, describing how the room would be organized this year, and explaining the way learning centers work. You can adapt the letter for the time of year you start using centers and to reflect your own way of teaching. Letters like these encourage parents to be informed and involved from the beginning — an important factor in students' success.