Using Centers in the Math Classroom

New York educator Nina Gribetz is an experienced middle school math teacher who has served as the math department chair at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School for six years. A leading math curriculum specialist, Nina Gribetz has completed several notable fellowships for recognized organizations such as Algebra for All and Math for America. She supports her colleagues’ professional development by sharing her expertise in assessment, lesson planning, and instructional methods. 

Math centers are an instructional method that can be an alternative to traditional whole group teaching. Rather than providing an example on the board and students working on the same problem together, during a math centers lesson, children work in small groups that focus on math concepts taught in previous classes. Math centers give teachers the ability to work individually or in small groups with struggling students while keeping more advanced students challenged. 

Teachers should explain each center to the class and leave written instructions at each math area. Students can then cycle through these centers, doing one about every 10 minutes, so that each child has an opportunity to work on the problem, puzzle, or game set up at each area. These activities usually incorporate manipulatives such as counters, dice, and unifix cubes.

Approaches to Improved Math Classroom Instruction

Nina Gribetz studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania and earned her master’s of teaching secondary math at Pace University in New York City, New York. Now a math teacher at the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in New York City, Nina Gribetz possesses extensive teaching experience having taught math in diverse capacities as a classroom instructor, mentor to fellow math teachers, and consultant. 

Effective math instruction relies on the teacher’s skills and its association with certain instructional characteristics. These instructional characteristics include approaches that get the subject matter across to the students. When these approaches are integrated into the classroom instruction, teachers become more effective in motivating and promoting learning.

1. Engage the students so that they are actively involved in working on the math problems. Teachers should make sure that all students are participating and that no one is sitting back watching others solve the problems. Students can take turns in solving mathematical problems and explaining the solutions to these problems.

2. Get the students to solve challenging mathematical problems. Math stimulates. Math is interesting because it can generate new knowledge. Students should appreciate the excitement math brings, and they should be able to integrate math into the challenges of the real world.

3. Pair the students together because it encourages partnership. According to studies, students tend to achieve more when they work in groups. When they are allowed to think through a problem collaboratively within a group, the likelihood of avoiding a dead end increases.

4. Give the students a variety of options to be able to communicate mathematically. As students are given the chance to communicate their ideas, they may write these concepts in their math journals. Class discussions also provide opportunities for the students to hear others, which can promote understanding as well as respect.