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.

How You Can Motivate Yourself to Run

A math teacher and the chair of the Math Department at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in New York, Nina Gribetz is responsible for helping teachers improve their classroom management and planning and teaching middle school math. An avid runner in her free time, Nina Gribetz has participated in several half marathons and marathons.

Completing a run, particularly a long run, requires motivation. Unfortunately, runners sometimes lose this motivation and can struggle to get it back. Following are several ideas for rediscovering the motivation to run:

- Get started. When you are constantly thinking about the distance you need to run, the simple act of preparing for exercise can seem tiring. Instead of thinking about the run, just focus on getting ready. Put on your shoes and any other running gear you need for your trek. Completing this prep work can often get you motivated to get out there since you will have fewer reasons to skip your run.

- Make it routine. At the beginning, try running just a couple times per week. This makes the activity seem less painful since you’ll know you have the other days of the week to relax and enjoy yourself. Over time, gradually increase how often to run until it becomes part of your routine. Also, think about setting your run times for the morning. Getting up earlier can be challenging, but running before your day gets underway not only invigorates you, but also eliminates common excuses not to go out.

- Run with others. Most things are more fun when you do it with someone else. This is true with running, but having another person to run with also helps keep you accountable. You will only have so many excuses to give before your group or running partner realizes that something is up. Running with other people also gives you time to socialize and meet new friends who share your interest in running.