Team Supply Stations

During a typical day, our 90-minutes class period consists of a Warm-Up assignment, the lesson lecture, a student-centered activity to practice what they learned, then the closing.  Almost all the time, these activities require that students use supplies that they themselves don't bring to class.
To decrease the commotion and amount of time that students spend picking up supplies like glue, scissors, markers, etc., I have set up team "stations" in the center of the team desks.

On the corner of each desk is a tag with a number/letter combination: 1A, 2B, 3A, 4B.   I use the numbers 1 to 4 to call on a student from each team for different reasons. For example, I may say: "Student number 4 starts the discussion." or "Student number 2 will be the team recorder for this activity."  The A and B are used to pair students.  For example, I may say:  "Students 1 and 2 are a pair, students 3 and 4 are a pair; if you are student A, you will be the presenter."  Using this system, I can make sure that all students are held accountable for participating in activities and such.

But back to the stations!  ----  The team stations consist of a plastic 3-drawer storage unit on wheels (which makes them so easy to move around when I'm re-arranging desks), and a "team bin" sitting on top of the storage unit.  These are the contents of each part of the team stations:

TEAM BIN

The bin contains supplies that are used on a daily basis.  This includes 4 of each of the following: glue bottles, rulers, protractors, scissors.  It also contains a stapler, a box of colored pencils, a box of crayons, and 8 fine-tip markers (which students often use to color-code their notes), and a hand-held pencil sharpener.      Having this bin accessible to every student in the team at any given time is a great benefit to them and to me, as well!



1st DRAWER
In the first drawer are four white boards and a plastic box with 4 markers and erasers to use with the boards.  When we use them, I usually ask student number 1 or 4 from each team to take them out from the drawer and hand one of each to their teammates.

 2nd DRAWER
In the second drawer are four clipboards.  We use there when we do activities in which students have to write while they are standing.  Some of these activities include "Around the World,"  "Walk-about," and "Scavenger Hunt" activities, which are all basically the same activity. Students work on a problem posted on a paper on a wall of the room and search for the answer on another paper, which will tell them which problem to do next.  Another activity we do where students must write while standing is a "Gallery Walk." In this activity, each team works on poster paper at their desks, posts their work on the wall, then all teams walk around observing, writing notes on their own paper/notebook, and commenting on each other's work.  These clipboards are so helpful!

3rd DRAWER

In the third drawer are our Algebra 1 EOC practice workbooks.  We use these workbooks in class throughout the year to practice answering EOC test questions.  Each Algebra 1 student has a workbook of their own and they keep them in the 3rd drawer of their team station to take out when they need to use them in class.

This system of storing student supplies that are used on a daily basis is very beneficial to my students because they don't need to go very far at all to get what they need!  They don't waste a lot of time gather and putting away supplies and the beginning and end of each period, and that makes me happy! :)

Elizabeth  

Our Interactive Notebook has a name: MathSpace.

Before there was Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there was My Space. (Remember?)   I'd like to think that it was not too long ago (because it doesn't feel like it was too long ago), but now that I think about it, it was about 10 years ago!   :)      


I've required that my students keep an interactive notebook for several years now.  I don't think that I knew it was called "interactive notebook" when I started requiring students to keep one, so I gave it a name.  This made it easy for me to refer to it when I needed to.  Teenagers back then were using My Space as their social media, so I liked the name "MathSpace" for their notebook.  They used their notebook for all things Algebra, or all things Geometry, or all things Pre-Cal, so I thought the name fit their notebook perfectly!


I kept using "MathSpace" as the name of the interactive notebook because I am so used to calling it that.  I refer to it often during class, as it is their "textbook."  I say things like, "you should have your MathSpace with you when you come in for tutoring," "take out your MathSpace and start working on the Warm Up,"  and "locate your Solving Quadratic Equations Foldable in your MathSpace."  It's just like second nature to me and my students now.


During the first week of the school year, I give students an information sheet that tells them the what? why? and how? of their MathSpace notebook.  I change a few minor things on it here and there each year, but I have found that giving them this information is very beneficial.  This is the sheet I gave them this year:

Download the editable file here.

I started off doing notebook checks once every and made sure that they were all keeping up with all the notes, that it was organized well, etc.  This practice was mainly put into effect to "force" them to keep a notebook and bring it to class every day.  I realized after a few years, though, that they were all keeping up with it fairly well, and that I didn't really need to be checking up on them.  So, I stopped checking them.   I can say that in the past four or five years, every student has maintained a MathSpace notebook.  All of the notes they write in class, including foldables, and MathSpace Notes (sheets with "skeleton" notes that I create, and students glue them in their MathSpace and fill in the notes), are glued to or written in their MathSpace, so students know they must have it and keep up with it every day!


I require my students to decorate their MathSpace sometime at the beginning of the school year.  They are allowed to decorate it with anything theme or in any way they'd like, as long as it completely covered and decorated.  Their decorations don't have to be "mathy," but sometimes they do decorate it "mathy"---that makes me so happy!  I tell them they should get it done within the first month of the school year, but I have found that many of them decorate it right away.  I do have a few students who take a while to decorate their MathSpace, but I keep reminding them to get it done, and they do, eventually.  I think decorating it makes them feel pride when they take it out in class and use it!


These are examples of MathSpace notebooks from this school year.  These students have started decorating their MathSpace, they're just missing a few things on the cover (like their name!):

   

(Dividers: courtesy of Sarah Carter at mathequalslove.)

Did you give your interactive notebook a name or title?  I'd like to hear about it if you do!




Thank you for reading!
 
Elizabeth