Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Must Do / May Do Board -Whatever Wednesday

Today's Whatever Wednesday Topic is:
THE MUST DO / MAY DO BOARD

I wish I could take credit for this.  It has made my role so much easier.  I first saw this in a co-workers classroom.  She found it somewhere else.  Regardless of where it came from, you NEED it!

The "must do / may do" board is exactly what the title says.  It's a visual reminder of what tasks need to be accomplished and what can be done once they are.  I created my board using electrical tape as a divider on my white board.  This allows me to use dry erase markers to record the daily activities.  I printed the subjects on cardstock, laminated them and hot glued magnets on the bag.  This lets me move them around as space is needed.

After I complete a lesson and assign a task I write it on the must-do board.  The children know to reference it when they need a reminder on what to do.  After everything is complete they may select and activity from the "may-do" side of the board.  I don't include activities that would encourage the children to rush through their assignments.  My "may-dos" typically include things like: independent reading, free-choice writing, and math fact practice.

It's a great tool for keeping everyone on track with their assignments and eliminates the "I'm done...What Do I Do Next? Chorus."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I used a modified form of this in my classroom this year. But this is way more streamlined. I love anything that gives students choices and ownership. Great!