Every student in your class needs their own personal whiteboard. They need to know where to keep it, how to care for it, and when to use it.
Its strict operation and function must be taught, modeled, and practiced like any other routine.
Once this is established, you have access to one of the best and most underrated tools for learning. It must, however, be narrowly directed.
Whiteboards should never be used independently.
Allowing students to pull them out to brainstorm ideas, work out math problems, or draw superheros causes more problems than they’re worth. No, whiteboards are effective for only one purpose:
To check for understanding.
Checking for understanding is critical for the transition to independent work. Whiteboards enable you to send students off knowing they can do the work without any help.
They’re especially effective for this purpose because . . .
- You can check every student in a few seconds.
- You know exactly who does and doesn’t get it.
- You get instant feedback on the effectiveness of your lesson.
They’re best used as the final step before giving your “Go” signal to begin independent work. Simply ask a question or propose a problem whose answer can be expressed on a 9″x 12″ whiteboard.
Depending on your objective, it could be a drawing, a vocabulary word, a solution, a graph, a simple yes or no, or anything that proves they’re ready to work all on their own.
If your lesson was less than clear, their responses will show you where and how you need to reteach or clarify. Sometimes all you need is a few additional words to ensure complete understanding.
One other benefit is that because whiteboards provide you with undeniable feedback, you become very good at delivering lessons.
PS – This week’s video is The Calm Teacher Mindset Students Instantly Respect. It can change everything.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
Very practical, thanks!
I am truly inspired by your guidance and regularly direct my teacher-trainee students to your posts. Thank you.
Thank you, that article is just what I needed. I’ve used mini whiteboards for years in my class, and expanded on them when I read your ideas on input and making sure that children have complete understanding before sending off. But this article really brought it home to me. I’ve never actually trained the children in using the whiteboards, just started using them with them and picked up things as we went along. I also realise there’s plenty of room to improve the ways that I use them in. I’m really excited about how this can help me to develop my teaching. Thanks again, Michael!
This is great Michael! I have some whiteboard I’ve abandoned and plan to take them out next week.
I would like to take it a step further and make sure each child gets a different equation to ensure they’re not copying from their neighbor. I write the equations on my whiteboard beforehand. Then once the lesson is done a few of them go up at a time to solve then pass the marker on to someone else before heading to their tables to work independently. It does take some prep time but after ten years of doing this I can do it pretty quickly. I also make sure I have the answers written on a paper in my hand so I can do a quick check while keeping an eye on the students.
I agreed with this
“Allowing students to pull them out to brainstorm ideas, work out math problems, or draw superheros causes more problems than they’re worth. No, whiteboards are effective for only one purpose:
To check for understanding.”
Because if i use it for partners to solve a problem together they draw on it, cover it with black. But i should try modeling it. Teaching how to use it, they raise it to show me and just use it before independent work to check understanding of the objective. I will try again but i have been annoyed by white boards. And counting out math realia and fraction tiles that get all over the floor or take eons to solve one problem. Maybe use those annoying tools in the same way just for checking understanding and then use a fast alogrithm to solve many problems so they don’t lose count or i lose my marbles patience and gentleness, lol. Anyone else find those rods and squares annoying for 2 plus digit multiplication problems? Its like lesson manufacturing companies don’t try using realia to solve three worksheets. And with real children.
I usually start using them in my kindergarten class midway through the year. I’m very explicit in how to use them, when to use them, what I should see on them and letting them know that it will be removed for a few minutes (or longer) if they are not used properly. When I consistently follow my guidelines, they are incredibly useful, they keep the students engaged better and they enjoy showing what they know.
Usually I allow them 1-2 minutes of doodle time while they all get passed out and let them show their friends what they created. This really helps to reduce their impulse to play with them during instruction.
When I couldn’t get mini-whiteboards in my class, I would go to the dollar store and buy thick transparency sheets and place binder paper in them. It’s not the same but works great as well! For brainstorms, word study and maths (many times in math!), it is such a great tool to have.
For beginning writers, it’s also just easier physically. Sliding a marker across a board takes less control than managing a pencil, which frees up their thinking. Instead of focusing on forming letters, they can focus on the sounds in words and what they want to say. Mistakes are easy to fix, so there’s less anxiety. Later, when they copy it onto paper, they can focus on their handwriting because the hard thinking is already done.
I loved using whiteboards when I taught 4th grade. They were great for math review problems (which we did several times a week), or assessing how well they understood the new lesson. I’d have the kids hold them up all at once (no looking around before hand), then I’d tekk the kids to put them down by rows as I visually, quickly checked them and called their. They’re also great for spelling checks, parts of speech responses, and short answer science or history questions.
I’m a firm believer that the more you can keep ALL the kids engaged rather than one person answering, the better it is for the kids.
Oops – “tekk” in my previous comment should be “tell”. I think my brain was combining tell and check !
I used to use them when I had a full-time job, and now that I’m a TTOC, I’ll be checking the shelves from now on, looking for whiteboards/pens/wipe-offs to use. It’s super for checking who’s on task, listening etc.
I teach adult beginner ESOL and I use personal whiteboards in our class just as you describe, with all those 3 benefits you mention in checking for understanding.