Reflection

I personally think centers are a great idea to have in the classroom. Giving students a

place where they can feel like they are learning on their own is good for not only them but for the

teacher as well. Implementing an assessment protocol for your individual classroom will help the

centers run smoother as well as help keep track of each students’ progress. Centers are great for

real-world usefulness because it gives students a chance to have a hands-on learning experience.

Centers also focus on real world problems such as the center I have created which has to do with

money. Students will work with the money and be able to identify which coins are which. They

will also gain knowledge on how to sort money as well as counting it. Dealing with money is

basically an everyday task in the real world, so having students learn how to count and deal with

it is very important. This is helping them gain real life experience for when they get older. I will

incorporate centers into my classroom in different ways. Students will get to go to their centers

when they are behaving well or show exceptional progress with their work. I will also use my

centers as sort of a check in so I can see how my students are doing individually as opposed to

when we do whole class activities. Students often get excited to work in the centers because they

know they will be able to use the computer and play fun games. This is a great motivator but it is

also helpful because in these centers students will actually be strengthening their knowledge

while they get to enjoy those games. So, while the students think they are getting some free time

they are actually learning real world knowledge. I think centers should be placed in every

classroom to help students with their skills. Having a good assessment in place for each center is

a key factor in making sure students are really grasping the material being given.