Hi Brandi!

Thanks for writing and asking a VERY good question. I can see your principal's concern, and I'll do my best to answer your question based on how I use Bubble Pages in my classroom. First, I think I would have to argue the fact that students are doing "busy work". My Bubble Pages are NEVER filled with random things to keep students busy. Each task on my Bubble Pages are selected for a very specific reason. Maybe you could explain to him your logic and reasoning behind the choices you have selected.

I would also encourage the argument that although the Bubble Page itself is not a research based strategy, the fact that I am incorporating researched based strategies such as choice, spiral review, differentiated instruction, and that students have a clear understanding of expectations brings the researched based element to my classroom.

Let me know how this turns out!
Amanda 🙂

If students do not finish their work during the week, it is usually because one of two reasons:
1. They aren't working during independent work time.
2. The work is too challenging.

Here are my solutions to these problems:
1. I typically contact parents or send home their bubble page and work to be signed by the parent. This often teaches students to better manage their time, ask for help when needed, or keep track of their materials. I also tell parents at parent teacher conference time that students are welcome to bring home a few items from the centers and complete them at home. Typically, having a student bring home items for a few days teaches them to focus and speed things up a bit when given the opportunity to work in class.
2. If the work is too challenging, I have been known to create a bubble page for a student or group of students that directly targets their needs and ability.