Taking Responsibility

This little guy here is very busy. With all the noise that can happen in a classroom, even three students crumpling up a piece of paper at the same time can cause him to get off task. Recently, he has found himself a new place to work without asking me. Of course, at first I wanted to ask him to return to his desk but after observing him, I said nothing. He sat quietly in the window seat and did his work. In a room with 26 students, he found his place of focus. I have a couple students like this who have to stand to work, or pace to stay on task. To one it may look like he is disobeying the rules, but to me, he made a way to get his work done. He took responsibility over his work. This is his calm spot. If it works for him, it works for me. 

Centers

It's funny how teachers in my past were the only ones allowed to use the globe. It was a visual for geography. However, I've noticed students really enjoy sitting and observing the globe themselves. They will get in groups and spin it a few times, land on a continent and begin asking questions themselves. Teaching one another. So I totally think a globe makes a great center for students to have conversations about and observe! They will amaze you with the talks they will have. They love it!