Wonderful Idea Wednesday

So I know I'm a day late, but yesterday was crab boil day with my team!!!  My very first crab boil, which was amazing and I would totally do it again today :-)  Anyway, here is my short but sweet Wonderful Idea Wednesday post to link up with the girls from Freebielicious!

 My center chart is one of my favorite things in my classroom! Here it is:

While it might not be the cutest thing in the world, it might just be the most functional.  The kids find their name (which is usually in the same spot for an entire quarter) and they can then see what table they will be at for the first and second rotations. 

Each table is labeled to match these cards:

One math center and one literacy center at each table and then a center on the floor.  6 in all for each.  This makes it easy for the kids to move around the room INDEPENDENTLY when it is time to switch.  I LOVE it!! 

But here's the kicker--> when it's time to set up or clean up I have the kids do it all!!  I label the spots where I keep my center materials with matching labels:

No more asking "Where does this go??" They know where the math and literacy centers live and can put them away without bothering me, which I love!  You will notice in the first picture that the Z label is bigger.  That's because center Z is located on the floor right in front of that shelf.  The size matches the labels on the table to help the students learn that that is where it actually is.


So that's my wonderful idea!  Head back to Freebielicious for more!  Happy Summer!