To Grade or Not to Grade?

When I began my math centers, I had to make a decision about how to handle all of the work my students would be producing. I had so many unanswered questions. Would some students never complete any centers unless their grade depended upon it? Would some students only participate in my math centers if they were rewarded with extra credit points? Would some be discouraged because they got a low score and stop doing center work, or only choose the easiest review activities to help boost their average? What about all my math games that don't actually result in the production of any "work" to grade? Will those just not count, or should I have some sort of a log where kids can record the minutes they spend playing? Isn't that record-keeping going to be a hassle that makes centers more time-consuming? How will I keep up myself? Yikes!!! While I'm not here to tell you the answers to all of these questions, I can only share my experiences with you.

I ultimately made a decision. I would try simply not grading center work at all. Not at all. You know what? It worked. Kids actually seem to do better quality work than they do at any other time, because they are assigning it to themselves and because they are enjoying it. More importantly, they are unafraid to select even the most challenging activities. What's amazing is the way kids take more risks. For instance, on my "Backwards Facts" center, I gave students a bunch of blank math facts with only the products provided, such as ___ x ___ = 36. One of my fourth graders, (don't ask me how) began putting down answers like 1/2 x 48 = 24 and 1/8 x 64 = 8. Eventually, he began putting down answers such as 2 1/2 x 8 = 20. I was stunned. Would he have been willing to try that if it was graded? I doubt it. I also learned that this particular student had a whole lot to offer. I have seen him become one of my stars, and a lot of it has happened at least in part because of math centers.

Moreover, I love the fact that the kids are doing the center work sheerly for the enjoyment of learning. I think the math centers have helped my students become more motivated in general, and my decision not to grade the work helped that to occur. I simply check any worksheets that are turned in (I keep a turn-in folder at the center) and make notes on them, and then I return them to the students. In a few cases, a center assignment has revealed a lack of understanding of a particular concept and I have met with the student to go over it one-on-one. Overall though, the work tends to be remarkably well done.

In the end, you need to find a way of implementing centers that works for you and accomplishes all of your educational goals. I can only encourage you to try not grading work from your learning centers for a little while just to see what happens. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

Why should you use learning centers?

Learning centers are an amazing way to get your students to take a more active role in their learning. If designed effectively, math centers can provide much-needed review, practice, and enrichment for students that is differentiated to meet students' needs and interests. When I first began to use math centers, I had no idea what an amazing impact they could have.
                                                  Here are just some of the benefits:

• Increased student motivation.   I'd be willing to bet that you like it when your principal involves you in making important decisions at work, instead of simply telling you, "This is what we are doing and that's that."  Kids feel the same way. Students who have a choice of learning activities feel empowered and tend to show much more interest and persistence in completing work. I am often amazed by how much center work gets completed in my classes. As a traveling math teacher, I occasionally walk into a classroom  to teach the day's lesson, and I find a student or two already working on math centers before class even begins. When kids are assigning themselves work and having fun doing so, that's a pretty exciting thing to see.
• Meaningful learning opportunities.  Students are working on skills they genuinely need to practice or that they are personally interested in exploring further. This is provided that your center activities target students' real learning needs, which requires a degree of planning on your part, as well as an understanding of your students' strengths and weaknesses, instructional levels, and your curriculum. Future posts will address this topic in more detail. Also, it bears mentioning that after my first full year of using centers, I had a significant increase in the number of students scoring "advanced" on their state testing. 
• Learning centers foster independence.  Because students are working at their own pace on a variety of activities, students have little choice but to work somewhat independently. Although some centers may be completed with a partner and I do circulate and assist students, there tends to be a little less teacher involvement with center work. Also, because students are choosing their own activities, it forces them to make decisions about which activities provide the right skills and offer the appropriate level of challenge for their particular learning needs.
• Learning centers improve classroom management.  Once your centers are in place, your students will have no reason to get into mischief. Early finishers will have the freedom to move on to another activity that interests them, instead of sitting around talking and passing notes. Also, motivated students tend to behave better in general.
• Learning centers improve time management. Not only do students have less down time, but they sometimes work harder to get their regular assignments done so that they can move on to a center activity. 
• Learning centers challenge advanced students. You can tailor your centers to challenge even your most gifted students. You will be far less likely to have to sit in a parent conference and hear that a student is "bored" in your class because they aren't being challenged.
• Your principal will like it. Because the students' interest in their center work will be apparent (and because your classroom management will be even better than ever), your principal will be impressed during your next observation. Administrators like to see students being independent and taking charge of their own learning.
• Center activities can be fun! Although I strive to make learning fun all day, the activities in my centers tend to have a slightly greater "fun" factor than my average classroom assignment. Meaningful, challenging games and puzzles are a staple of any successful center, and kids truly enjoy the freedom and choice that centers provide. 

Here is an example of a fun math center activity that provides meaningful 
application of a skill I teach, classifying angles:

Click to view:

Geometry Pictures (Set of 2)