Can someone explain the concept of centers?

[Anonymous]

And how it differs from education in the 90s? I genuinely can’t remember how I was taught then, but it wasn’t centers.

Is this the prevailing practice at all schools, public parochial and independent? Pros and cons? Interested to know more as my DC is entering K next year. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I was in preschool in the 80's, and a preschool helper in the 90's. It's how things worked then, although the content of the centers has changed to be more academic in a lot of places.

Basically, the room is set up with different activity stations. Some stations require a lot of adult support (e.g. an art station, or a science experiment, or a reading group), and some are designed to be more independent (e.g. a center where kids play freely with a material, or a center where kids do something like read independently, or work on worksheets). Some schools have kids moving at their choice, some schools have kids assigned and moving on a schedule. It's a way for the kids to get a mixture of independent activities, and focused teacher attention, to manage behavior, and to manage resources that might be a little scarce (e.g. a classroom might not have enough Level C books, or enough of a certain kind of math manipulatives for the whole class to use them at the same time).

This usually isn't the entire day. It's one part of the day.

[Anonymous]

Centers or stations are a way for kids to be occupied and possibly learning something/practicing a skill while the teacher meets in small groups.

When I was in school, we did worksheets at our desk while the teacher met with the students that needed more help.

In either way, the focused students will do what they're supposed to do while most of the class just wanders around or stares at the wall. With stations or centers, it will take the teacher several months of training to get the students to get the hang of it and then, while meeting with small groups, the teacher will have to be frequently redirecting the students that are completely off the rails.

This new way of teaching seems to put more work on the teacher while overall the students learn less. But that's how they do it now. Occasionally you'll get an old-fashioned teacher who doesn't bother with centers. But that's rare.

[Anonymous]

Centers are used now mostly because there is no ability grouping in the lower grades in ES. All ability levels are mixed together so teachers use centers so she/he can teach small groups. I teach centers and mine are usually fine motor, math games, letters/sight words, and reading. At the beginning of the year, I teach all of the centers to my whole class so they know what to do. I switch out activities as needed.

[Anonymous]

The problem with them is that the kids can get started to each other, and it’s hard for some kids to focus. There can be a lot of movement in the room. It’s really hard for ADHD kids to deal with. I often observe in rooms where a teacher is working with a small group, and many of the kids are supposed to be working at centers, but are fooling around, instead. It’s too much for only one adult to monitor.

[Anonymous]

I try to do centers the way I'm "supposed" to do them, but I find it very difficult to plan, develop, and implement. For example, on paper my math block is supposed to be an hour long. 15 minutes for sense making routine, 15 minutes for a focus lesson, and then 30 minutes for centers while I work with small groups. I never have time to plan for these groups, so the Math Workshop model I'm supposed to be following falls apart.

The hour is then followed by another 20 minute intervention block during which I am also supposed to be working with small groups. Between the math centers and intervention block there are 50 minutes during which I'm supposed to be with groups and the students are self-directed. It can be chaotic.

ES Teacher

[Anonymous]

It's a way for administration to pretend that kids are doing self directed learning when in reality they're just talking to friends and wasting time while the teachers focus on the kids who are behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a way for administration to pretend that kids are doing self directed learning when in reality they're just talking to friends and wasting time while the teachers focus on the kids who are behind.

And it also does nothing to teach children self-control and appropriate behavior. For kids who need help learning those concepts (some kids know this already or instinctively while some kids need to be explicitly taught), this does not teach it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a way for administration to pretend that kids are doing self directed learning when in reality they're just talking to friends and wasting time while the teachers focus on the kids who are behind.

And it also does nothing to teach children self-control and appropriate behavior. For kids who need help learning those concepts (some kids know this already or instinctively while some kids need to be explicitly taught), this does not teach it.

Strong disagree on this. When implemented and rolled out properly, centers/small group activities actually build in more opportunities for students to learn self - control. Before I ever do small groups we go over appropriate expectations and the reasons behind the small groups. We go over how to work in each station. At the end of any small group time, we reflect on how things went and where we can improve. Rare would be the day when 100% of kids are on task 100% of the time, but I would say thats also true about most adults when they are working. The important thing is that kids can self assess how they did both academically and socially and then reflect on next steps.

[Anonymous]

Back before The Common Core, students were often grouped by ability. My son was in the GT reading class and the regular math class. 100% of the class time was devoted to the students because they were grouped together. After CC came in, they got rid of these separate classes and lumped everyone in together so now the teacher divides her time into thirds. The lowest students get the most time but not all of the time like they used to. It doesn't make any sense. I moved my kid out of public school after a few years partly because of this. Equity apparently means that nobody gets what they need. My son met with his reading teacher once a week for 20 minutes for many years. Ridiculous.