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Monday, March 9, 2015

Put a 'Spin" on Your Centers!

Hello!  My name is Nicole Chavanne and I am the special education half on an inclusion duo in 5th grade.  I love teaching upper elementary so I am so lucky to be able to bounce up and down between grades 4-6.  I also run a little TpT store called Learning Lab.
As a special education teacher, even my smallest of groups contain students with varying levels and needs.  Sometimes, I need to really work 1:1 with a student which leaves the other kiddos on their own.  
 
Oh boy!  Most of my students have a hard time working without some sort of adult support or reassurance.  I needed to think of an activity that would keep their attention and give them the feedback they craved.  I created a self-checking activity so my other kiddos could work independently and get instant feedback.
When I first created the Pin & Spin series, it was mostly geared for preschool and kindergarten.  Even though my classroom was my initial inspiration, I began to create with my preschool daughter in mind.  I was home on leave at the time and creating resources for my daughter was fun and useful!
 
Since being back in the classroom, I have been focusing on creating resources that I can use with my 5th grade inclusion students.  
 
It's funny how some students have such an aversion to worksheets but if you give them a hands on activity practicing the same skills, they will love it!  My 5th grade students LOVE working with these Pin & Spin sets and they really get a kick out of using clothespins!
 
Did I mention that my Occupational Therapist on my team totally approves this activity?  The kiddos get a little fine motor practice without even realizing it!

Set up is super easy!  I just print double sided on card stock and laminate for durability.  Then you just track down some clothespins.  They don't have to be fancy.  I like my fancy ones because one of my bloggie buddies made them for me!
I like quick and easy.  The easier, the better!  I think one of my favorite parts is that all of my sets are super easy to store.  I just pop a set into a file folder for storage.  Once you initially set up the cards, you will never need to prepare anything again!  
My class begs to use Pin & Spin centers and get so excited when I bring in a new set!  
 
If you would like to try Pin & Spin in your classroom, you can test drive it with these freebies:
            
There are currently over 50 Pin & Spin Activities available in my TpT store for grades Pre-K-6th.  I'm always working on new Pin & Spin ideas.  If you have an idea for a Pin & Spin topic that you would love to use in your classroom, please email me!

If you enjoyed this post about putting a 'spin' on your centers, please consider following me here on my blog or on Teachers pay TeachersFacebook, or Instagram for more great ideas!  My favorite place to share ideas is on Instagram!

Hope to see you again soon!
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