Go-To Guide to Morning Tubs: Part 4 – When to Change Tubs

Hello! Thanks for stopping by for the fourth part of my summer blog series! 

Let’s talk about how often you’re going to change your tub activities. The answer for most teachers will probably be monthly, but it really depends on how you’re setting up and managing your tub activities. I’ll break it up and give some pros and cons!

Changing Morning Tubs Monthly

My preference is to change tub activities monthly. It helps me to plan my entire month at a time for several reasons. 

The best part is that I only have to change activities once per month. We’re busy enough, so why add extra work for ourselves? I also change literacy centers at the end of each month, so it is helpful to do it all at the same time.

Changing tub activities each month also helps from a storage perspective. Ideally, you’ll be able to keep the activities to reuse each year. Having one storage container for each month is easiest for me.

Remember that if another teacher on your grade level team is doing morning tubs, you could divide up the work! You could make two sets of September tubs and another teacher could make two sets of October tubs. Or, if you don’t have thematic or seasonal activities, you could just prepare one set of activities and swap each month! For example, you make a set for September and the other teacher makes a set for October and you switch.

Pros: You only have to think about changing activities once per month; you could work with another teacher to divide up the prep work

Cons: Students might start getting bored of the same activities

Changing Morning Tubs Bi-Weekly

Changing out your tub activities every two weeks isn’t ideal for most teachers. However, depending on how you’re managing tubs, it might work for you.

One reason why you might want to change tubs every two weeks is if you’re sharing the prep and planning with another teacher! For example, you could prepare two weeks’ worth of activities and another teacher in your grade level would do the same. Then you can swap the activities every two weeks.

What it looks like: If you have 20 students and the other teacher has 21 students, you’ll both need to make 21 activities. For the first two weeks of the month, you’ll each use your own activities. Then for the last half of the month, you’ll swap activities.

The biggest benefit of this idea is that you are swapping out activities more frequently without the extra work.

Pros: Activities are switched up more frequently which might boost student motivation and interest

Cons: You have to take time every two weeks to change activities

Teacher Tip: If you’re doing partner tubs, don’t forget that you can make half as many tub activities.

In Summary

You know yourself and your classroom best, so pick the option that works best for you. Remember to work with another teacher if it saves you some time!

Looking for Part Five?

Click here to continue on to Part Five of this blog series!

Two Things to Do Now

1. Remember that you can get my Morning Tubs Planning Guide delivered instantly to your inbox by filling out the form below!

2. Join my Morning Tubs with Katie Roltgen Facebook Group on Facebook for tips, support, and collaboration with thousands of other teachers!

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