Busy Bee’s Station Management Training

1. Busy Bee’s Station Management Training 2009-2010

2. Using the same language… • All classrooms on campus will be using the same station management system. • Busy Bee’s Management Plan will be used daily. • This will help in ease of team planning and consistency across our classrooms.

3. Campus Guided Reading Instructional Requirements • All students are to receive guided reading instruction for a minimum of 4 days a week. • All at-risk students will receive guided reading 5 days weekly + additional ARI instruction. • Using this consistent management system will ensure ALL students WILL receive daily instruction.

4. Review of Busy Bees • Students go to 4 stations daily. • The length of time depends on your grade level… 15-30 minutes per station. • This occurs Monday-Thursday. • Stations/ Guided Reading should be done at all costs!

5. Finish-Up Friday • Friday is meant as a time to finish up and correct work, review misconceptions and re-teach as needed. • Many teachers use fun stations as an incentive for good behavior and completing work. • “Fun Stations” should still have academic goals and basis.

6. Fun Friday Management • Take a minute to discuss at your table some ideas you have for Friday… • Management • Activities • Routines and Procedures

7. On the Job… • Students are to have a specific job at each station. • They are held accountable for these jobs by you. • The more specific you are about the job the students are to complete the more on-task the students will be.

8. This is not a time for new learning! • All “jobs” should be a REVIEW of material that was previously taught. • This is a time for students to practice TEKS that were taught to mastery. • Often times lessons that were done the previous week are modified and put into stations to perfect and practice the new learning that previously took place.

9. This is not a time for worksheets! • Students should be working with hands-on materials. • Genuine activities that promote learning. • Cooperative learning should be encouraged.

10. A Student’s Job is Never Done! • A student should never be able to say “I’m done!” • Always have specific routines and procedures for what to do when you are finished. • All follow up activities should be TEK based and again a review. • Think about leaving out old favorites for children to revisit.

11. Holding Accountable • Make sure that you are holding students accountable for a job that they are to complete. • This may be by a product that they are turning in or by observation prior to clean up of what they have done. • Folders should be checked Thursday so that you know who still has work to do.

12. High Standards • You will get what you accept. If you accept messy, half completed work… this is what you will get. • You must set standards and enforce them consistently. • Students must know ahead of time and be held accountable for your expectations.

13. More than just the TEKS… Students learn through stations… • Responsibility and self-motivation. • Compromise. • Cooperation. • That their actions have consequences. • To help others. • Patience and tolerance.

14. What’s the 1st step? • Decide what your stations are going to be. • You will need to have eight stations in place in addition to guided reading (horseshoe) and light bulb.

15. Examples might include: • Listening • Library • Fluency • Poetry • Word Work • ABC • Writing • Big Book • Computer

16. Non-negotiable Fluency is a huge issue on our campus! 1st & 2nd grade classrooms must have: • Fluency station • Fluency cards, rereading familiar books • Poetry Station • Listening Station

17. Two Daily Stations • There are two stations that children go to daily these are: • Horseshoe… Guided Reading • Light bulb… • Math board • Word Work • Waterford • Familiar book reading/ book buckets

18. Light bulb • Take a moment to discuss at your table ideas for management of light bulb. • This is your largest station. • Think about… • Where will the kids sit? • How will I store activities for the week? • What has worked in the past? • What do I need to change?

19. Designating a Space • Gather the materials that are needed for each station. • Designate a space for each station. • Think about the noise level at each station and what kind of movement there will be.

20. Defining the Space • Think about where you will be sitting for guided reading. • Can you see all the stations clearly? • Are there barriers that you can use to keep children in their area? • Rug • Shelf • mats

21. Things to Think About! • How often will you add or change your materials? • How will you differentiate your materials within your stations? • When will you do your mini-lessons to introduce new stations?

22. Setting Routines • During the first week of school begin introducing the stations. • Give the children an opportunity to explore what is at each station. • Model whole class • Demonstrate and practice how to properly use and store materials.

23. Introductions… • Introduce stations one at a time, explicitly demonstrating and practicing the routines for using it with the children. • A new center should not be introduced until the children fully understand how to use the station previously introduced. • Consider introducing one to two stations daily the first week of school.

24. Get Moving! • Role play with your children how to move through your stations. • How do you read the station map? • What should the noise level be? • What signal will you use to lower the noise level, move children, and signal attention? • What should the students have with them when they go to stations?

25. To/ With/ By • Think about how to go through the gradual release of responsibly with each routine and station you go through. • First demonstrating by the teacher • Completing with the students… teacher observes and redirects. • Handing responsibility over to the students.

27. Guaranteeing Independence Teachers must… • model appropriate behavior • allow for a gradual release of responsibility • provide a risk free environment and a proper independent work level • communicate clear, explicit expectations.

28. How to store work… • Talk with students about how to store completed work. • Where does the work go in their folder • When it is done?... • When they are still working? • Where and how are folders stored?

29. 2nd Week of School… • Students should be walking through the stations with you monitoring their behavior and routines. • Consider putting review work from the previous school year that they should already be able to do. • Walk around and talk with the students, redirecting as needed.

30. Make a Big Deal of the Little Things! • Stop and have mini-lessons when needed as you see problems arise. • Point out the good behavior you saw happening. • Make Looks Like/ Sound Like charts for stations. • Make I Can lists for follow up activities and post at stations.

31. 3rd Week of School… • The students should be in stations full swing! • All teachers should be beginning to teach guided reading. • Guided Reading books should be going home with students no latter than this week.

32. The Characteristics of a Well-managed Classroom • Students are deeply involved with their work, especially with academic, teacher-led instruction. • Students know what is expected of them and are generally successful. • There is little wasted time, confusion, or disruption. • The climate of the classroom is work-oriented, but relaxed and pleasant. • Harry Wong The First Days of School

33. All Battles are won before they are fought. Sun Tzu