Monthly Monday Made It: Self Checking Centers and Organization

Can you believe it's already October?  It seems like school just started (I know it did for some of you), but here in my district we are finishing up the first trimester.  It's not a real trimester time wise - as it's only been 8 weeks, but this Friday means a minimum day to work on report cards!  I love minimum days!
Anyhow, the first Monday of the month means linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics to share what we've been up to.  

When I was thinking of what to share, I kept coming back to all the hours during the weekend I spend over my laminator.  Well, it's more I turn it on, and then I have to remember to keep coming back to stick the next sheet in... just being honest... 

I love all the things I've found over at Teachers Pay Teachers and Teacher's Notebook.  There are so many creative teachers and bloggers out there that know what to make.  I'm very appreciative, especially since I'm not overly creative myself.  

In my classroom I like using a game or skill at the different choices for Daily 5 and MATH rotations.  Since I can't be directly over the kids' shoulders to check their work, I have been adding a little something to the different centers before I stick them through the laminator.

Self checking examples:

Sometimes I add a label on the back that tells what the answer is.

(Example - adding the rounded number or putting the 

compound word on the back of the card).  A label makes it really difficult to see the answer through the card.

Or I add a colored dot on game cards that gives insight on 

how to organize the game.

(Example - one color for cause, another for effect)

I have added letters on the back of cards with pencil so they don't see the answer through the card.

(Example - "P", "I", or "E" for Author's Purpose, or 

"C", "I", "A" for Properties of Addition)

Other ways that I've been organizing centers:

*Binder rings!  It's so easy to split up flashcards into 6-10 per ring and it allows the cards to spread out to more kids during that rotation.

*Ziploc bags - sandwich/quart for individual partner sets, and gallon size to hold an entire topic.

*Pull out drawers to sort math fact activities - since 

these are used every day during that station.  

*Sheet protectors - anything that I want the kids to have a chance to write on I stick in those wonderful creations.  I mainly use work sheets in them, though I did create a game board that looked like this to review adding and subtracting greater numbers.  

With this, they rolled a dice and just wrote their number on the lines using dry erase marker.  Then their partner had to check their answer using subtraction (this was an idea that Stephanie over at Teaching in Room 6 had for math - I just adapted it to my grade and what we're learning).  

So, like I said - I'm not super creative coming up with brand new ideas.  I couldn't find anything to help my students review Properties of Addition, so I made up this sort game.  I know - I'm sure you are fawning over it... :)

  Here it is at Google Docs if you want it.  Yes, the line of 

that one page really is there in the real one...   

   Hope school is going well for you!  Have a great day!