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Math Centers in Middle School?
Many teachers have tried math centers in middle school, and given up in frustration. Can it be done? Yes, of course! But it does take some planning and practice. I was required to do math centers in my 7th grade intervention class, so I had to figure out how to make it work.
Start very slowly!
I would never just jump in to centers. The processes and rules must be taught slowly. I would first practice each center activity with the whole group to make sure they know what to do when they get to that center. It may also be helpful to post the rules for each rotation. Then start with only one center. That means divide the class into two groups with two different center activities. You might want to make one a computer station to make the transition easier. No small teacher group yet, until rules and expectations are clearly established. Walk around the room and make sure students know your expectations. Rules at the computer station may be no talking, log in a get started right away, and stay on task. Eventually, you should have small groups of 3 or 4, if possible.
Establish accountability
Let students know you will be checking to see how much they accomplish each day. You may have a designated area at each station where students submit the work they completed. Create a chart of names and stations listing each activity. Mark as done if students complete each task. The computer group may already have accountability built in. Some programs give teachers data, such as time spent on task, and progression of lessons. If you have assigned your own lesson or task, just look to see if it was completed.
Establish a simple point system. Students will earn points for staying on task and lose points for talking or being off task. The points can be used to establish a participation grade, or as a basis for some type of reward. When I worked in small groups and I noticed a student in a station off task, I just said their name, established eye contact, and pointed “one” with one finger. This let them know they just lost a point, but with minimal disruption. (Major disruptors, can be removed from a group to work alone.)
Practice rotations
Have students practice rotating from group to group. Each group can have a designated name, number or color. For example, the red group will start on the computer station on Wednesdays, the green group on Thursdays, etc. Make sure they know to move in a clockwise, or counterclockwise direction, whichever you decide. Tell them you will be looking for quick transitions, and getting immediately on task, with minimal noise. Just practice the rotations and nothing else, until they learn to do it correctly, consistently. Praise the groups who transition quickly and quietly. You may even use a timer to establish a “best time” for each group. (Also make sure you have a built-in clean up time before rotation is over.) I had a buzzer that signaled clean-up time. After 2 minutes or a time you have established, announce, “ROTATE”.
Short class periods?
One of the difficulties in establishing centers in middle school is having shorter class periods. My classes were 50 minutes long. Some teachers have even shorter periods. (You really have to just adjust to the time you’re given.) I made sure the centers were ready to go before students entered the room. The group schedules were posted on the wall, so students knew which station their group started each day. They had 2 minutes to find their places and get started after the bell rang. Again, award points or praise those getting right to work. Each rotation was 12 minutes long. That gave us time for transitions and clean-up at each group. Even though I had four stations, students knew they would not complete the full rotation each day.
Ideas for Stations:
Small group with the teacher:
One station should be a small group with the teacher. I always started with giving my students in small groups a task to complete on a small white board. Make sure supplies like whiteboard markers and erasers or tissues are on hand. For the first few days, the aim should be letting students in the other groups know you are watching. Assign points and praise groups on task. Once students know they will be held accountable, you can move toward more focus in your student group to review key concepts.
Technology:
This is the easiest station to use because it doesn’t require any student supplies and students are mostly working independently.
Manipulatives:
This one may seem tough to implement, but I loved using Marcy Cook task cards with number tiles. They’re great fun and students feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete a card. They can also have a checkoff list to keep track of the cards they’ve completed. You may have one responsible person in each group keep track of completed cards. You may also have games such as Yahtzee or have matching card games where you match a problem to its answer. Try Pentominoes for another fun small group task.
Game or Puzzle worksheets:
There are all kinds of fun puzzle worksheets you can find. Make sure students turn in what they have completed at the end of the rotation. Crosswords, Word Searches, Sudoku, and color in designs can be used at this station.
Homework station:
Students can work on any homework or classwork they still need to complete, or assist other struggling students.
Task Cards around the Room:
Once routines are established, try placing numbered task cards around the room. Students will find each task card, complete it, and then write their answer on a chart numbered for each answer. Students can try to see how many task cards they can complete in a rotation.
When students need help:
Tell students that when they need help they will use the “3 Before Me” rule. Ask up to three students for help first. If they still need help, they can come to you. But make sure students know that interrupting your small group is a last resort.
Math stations can be very effective in your middle school classroom, because it establishes independence and gives you valuable small group time to work with concepts students are struggling with.
Give it a go!
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