Case
Accountability during centers

I have five centers on a rotation during the week for Literacy and Math. Some students play around or don't play the games right. How do you hold students accountable for their center time behavior and work without creating a lot of paperwork for the teacher?

Posted on: 03/13/15 | Views: 880
Solution #1
Have similar problems with this myself. I typically take an overall score on the rotations at the end of the week. Students get a check for each station (five total) and each station counts 10 points. Additionally, as students are working and rotating I walk around and monitor student behavior and progress as well. I remind students that these centers are a privilege and that if I see them not working in their cooperative groups then they will be pulled and will complete work alone. This consequence typically keeps a majority of my students on task.

I think this is a bigger problem than most people mention. I have been doing my clinicals with my children's teachers and they are constantly doing rotating groups. I have been wondering how it can be effective if there is only one teacher and three+ groups. I worked with one group and mentioned to the teacher that a student doesn't understand the concept of rhyming words. Had I not been there, how would she have known since her group focused on something totally different.

I think you have to be very strategic when forming the groups that will rotate together. Putting some of your higher-level students in the same group with your lower-level ones will allow them to work as peer tutors. Students love the responsibility of helping another student learn, but you have to train them to do that well. Otherwise, they'll just tell the lower-level student all the answers!

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Solution #2
There is a very good question. You definitely need to stress the importance of getting everything done, but as all teachers know, that does not matter all the time. When I first started centers at the beginning of the year, my instructional coach came in and showed me the best way to do this. She told me that it is important to keep the noise level down, but I have to focus on the group that I am working with because they are the one getting new instruction. Also, you may want to have fewer groups until the students get better at it. You may have too much going on.
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Solution #3
I teach high school students, but when I do a group or station activity, I make sure that there is something that they turn in when the activity is over. It can be something very simple, so as to not create too much extra paperwork, but something that keeps them accountable for having done what they are supposed to do at each station. Also, when grouping, consider placing lower level learners with midlevel learners, higher level learners with midlevel learners, and midlevel learners with midlevel learners. This should keep the higher level learners from telling the lower level learners all of the answers and enabling the lower level learners from not contributing. However, this arrangement still provides for peer tutoring.
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Solution #4
When my students are doing center work. I usually give them a hands on active with manipulatives. I create a recording sheet for each assignment. In the case of CVC words I have them to write them three times. These gives me an easy way to see if they have worked during the center time.
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Solution #5
I would have smaller groups do each activity and also have the student write a summary about what they did favorite part and such. I would also walk around more while they are in groups and ask them questions to make sure they are on task.
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Solution #6
I would let them know that everything they do is for a grade. That way there's accountability. If you don't actually plan on grading it, that's fine. As long as they THINK they will be graded, that will work. If not, then tell them that if they arent staying on task, they will lose their privileges and will need to sit out while everyone gets to do centers.
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Solution #7
It's important to make sure there are various ability levels are in each group. Make sure you are monitoring all of the groups during group time and maybe have students complete quick self and peer evaluations after completing the activities. That way students are held accountable for their participation and behavior during group time.
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