Using Journals to Manage Centers

One of my biggest pet peeves about centers is managing the papers that tend to come with them!  Loose papers always seem to get lost in my classroom (anyone else have this problem?), so I have found that journals work better.  My students use a variety of journals during centers.  During reading centers, they have their Read the Room Journal and their Reading Response Journal.  During writing centers, they have their Writing Journal and their Science Discovery Journal.  During math centers, they have their Problem Solving Journal. 
In the beginning of the year, I took the time to print and bind each of these journals for my kids.  It took a bunch of time then, but it makes life so much easier now!  (I also bound 5 extra of each journal at the beginning of the year, so that when I get a new student, I have everything that student needs right on the shelf!)  Each set of journals has it’s own bucket and during centers, students pull out their journal and get to work.  The best part is that they leave their journals there and I only have to see their papers when I want to see them, and not when we are cleaning up!  Here is a quick look at what some of the journals look like.  They are all available for you on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Read the Room Journal

Reading Strategies Journal
   
Narrative Writing Journal

Science Discovery Journal
 
Problem Solving Journal
   

One of my biggest pet peeves about centers is managing the papers that tend to come with them!  Loose papers always seem to get lost in my classroom (anyone else have this problem?), so I have found that journals work better.  My students use a variety of journals during centers.  During reading centers, they have their Read the Room Journal and their Reading Response Journal.  During writing centers, they have their Writing Journal and their Science Discovery Journal.  During math centers, they have their Problem Solving Journal. 
In the beginning of the year, I took the time to print and bind each of these journals for my kids.  It took a bunch of time then, but it makes life so much easier now!  (I also bound 5 extra of each journal at the beginning of the year, so that when I get a new student, I have everything that student needs right on the shelf!)  Each set of journals has it’s own bucket and during centers, students pull out their journal and get to work.  The best part is that they leave their journals there and I only have to see their papers when I want to see them, and not when we are cleaning up!  Here is a quick look at what some of the journals look like.  They are all available for you on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Read the Room Journal

Reading Strategies Journal
   
Narrative Writing Journal

Science Discovery Journal
 
Problem Solving Journal
   

One of my biggest pet peeves about centers is managing the papers that tend to come with them!  Loose papers always seem to get lost in my classroom (anyone else have this problem?), so I have found that journals work better.  My students use a variety of journals during centers.  During reading centers, they have their Read the Room Journal and their Reading Response Journal.  During writing centers, they have their Writing Journal and their Science Discovery Journal.  During math centers, they have their Problem Solving Journal. 
In the beginning of the year, I took the time to print and bind each of these journals for my kids.  It took a bunch of time then, but it makes life so much easier now!  (I also bound 5 extra of each journal at the beginning of the year, so that when I get a new student, I have everything that student needs right on the shelf!)  Each set of journals has it’s own bucket and during centers, students pull out their journal and get to work.  The best part is that they leave their journals there and I only have to see their papers when I want to see them, and not when we are cleaning up!  Here is a quick look at what some of the journals look like.  They are all available for you on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Read the Room Journal

Reading Strategies Journal
   
Narrative Writing Journal

Science Discovery Journal
 
Problem Solving Journal