When I started teaching, I had a head of Maths who gave me a class set of mini whiteboards and a quick 2-minute explanation of how to use them. I started with a Year 7 class at the start of the year, just to test their long multiplication and division skills. I ended up using the mini whiteboards with all classes (sometime fighting the challenges mentioned in this article) and for a majority of lessons.
Probably the greatest tool a Maths teacher can have!
I then moved abroad, where there isn't a culture of using mini whiteboards. I tried it one lesson and that was about it. Other teachers made comments about it, saying they just create more challenges (as mentioned in this article), and the students rarely engaged with them. Admittedly, I was teaching in a senior school, missing the juniors and half the middle-school students. If I could start with Year 7s, I reckon I could build the culture, train the students and train the teachers.
Unfortunately I don't teach in schools at the moment, so that plan is on hold!
When I started teaching, I had a head of Maths who gave me a class set of mini whiteboards and a quick 2-minute explanation of how to use them. I started with a Year 7 class at the start of the year, just to test their long multiplication and division skills. I ended up using the mini whiteboards with all classes (sometime fighting the challenges mentioned in this article) and for a majority of lessons.
Probably the greatest tool a Maths teacher can have!
I then moved abroad, where there isn't a culture of using mini whiteboards. I tried it one lesson and that was about it. Other teachers made comments about it, saying they just create more challenges (as mentioned in this article), and the students rarely engaged with them. Admittedly, I was teaching in a senior school, missing the juniors and half the middle-school students. If I could start with Year 7s, I reckon I could build the culture, train the students and train the teachers.
Unfortunately I don't teach in schools at the moment, so that plan is on hold!
White boards are a very useful way of showing equality of opportunity when there are quieter students in the class. They give everyone a voice.
I used to absolutely love a mini-whiteboard! Especially when I taught in primary school!
You get great ‘real-time’ feedback about the pupils understanding so I knew where to direct my TA and myself throughout the lesson.
I do not like white boards. My children write straight on their desks with a whiteboard pen.