Case
Students are making a mess at Centers

I have a few students who are making a mess at centers and I keep reminding them to clean up but they just get someone else to clean up. I'm busy with the whole class so I don't catch them until the clean-up is done or I hear about it from other students. What are some tips to help in this case study?

Solution #1
My first tip is to have a conversation with the entire class about the expectations for centers, including that of cleaning up after oneself, as the students who are cleaning up for those who are making the mess in the first place are part of the issue as well. The students who make the mess should be the ones to clean it. With that being said, my second tip is to try to make cleaning fun for the reluctant students. There are a few ways you could do this, depending on the age of students. For example, in preschool, we sang a cleaning song. Some other ideas include cleaning for points or rewards, playing an "I Spy" cleanup game, and having a cleaning party. Another tip I have is to give students options and visual reminders.
Solution #2
I would create a reward for cleaning up. It can be stickers and give everyone you see cleaning would get the reward.

incentives for the students is a great idea!

Solution #3
I would have a discussion with the students, if they are the ones creating the mess they should be the ones cleaning it up. So maybe remind the students when they are at centers that they must be the ones that clean their own messes, or set the expectations of centers for the students. To add, to keep an extra eye on the students to make sure they are helping clean centers.
Solution #4
My first thing to do is have a trusting conversation with all of the class, or maybe assign tables to have certain "jobs". Like each can take turns cleaning themselves up, and if they do, there's a rewards system you can incorporate so all of the students can understand.
Solution #5
There should be clear expectations for center time and clean up. Using incentives for participation is suggested, too.
Solution #6
I would suggest reminding students of the rules for centers before starting. Then, if centers change throughout the time frame, I would have a song or tune that reminds the students to clean up their messes before transitioning to the next center's station. I think this will help with the reminder to clean up after themselves. Talking to them face to face and getting down to their level when they have made a mess can help get students to recognize their mess rather than calling out.
Solution #7
You could assign each student a specific clean up job/area to clean up and make it mandatory that you have to sign off on it (use a task chart) before they can leave class.
Solution #8
In this situation, I would have a conversation with the whole class about the expectations for centers. I would explain that centers are a privilege and that if they are not being used responsibly and if people are not cleaning up after themselves they should not be able to use them. I would try this strategy and if the problem persists, I would either take away the privilege for certain people to participate in centers and have them silently read or write by themselves or remove centers for the whole class for a few days so they understand that this behavior is unacceptable.
Solution #9
The first thing I would remind these students of are the classroom rules. After reviewing the classroom rules, create an insensitive for these students that can be used for the whole classroom. Try to make it student centered in terms of interest. If they are not interested in the reward, they will not want to clean.
Solution #10
I would stop the whole class until the students in that center have cleaned up. This is a classroom procedure and it should be followed, so if a student isn't following directions their behavior should be addressed immediately.