Teaching From The Front: Strategy 4 - Mini Whiteboards

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Teaching From the Front: Strategies

Please Stand Behind the Line

Consultant Research Group, December 2020

Overview:

In response to the additional challenges posed by restrictions due to Covid-19, The Consultant Research Group have created a series of succinct ‘teaching from the front’ strategies. Depending on the teacher who is using our strategies, some of these may be new ideas, whilst others may have been done before and ‘forgotten’ due to the additional challenges of teaching this year. These strategies will be of benefit more widely, for teaching in more ‘normal’ conditions too.

You will also find a brief summary of what educational research tells us about this area, as well as why it is particularly important to focus on this area of teaching practice during the current Covid situation. There are also suggested practical steps that teachers could use in their classroom, together with some suggested additional reading/research.

How to use this resource:

These strategies could be used with departments or individual teachers
The techniques could be used by a teacher as a refresher
Departments could identify key strategies to focus on collectively
Trouble-shooter – use individual pages with staff
Print off and use as a tool; stick it on the wall in the department base as a reminder

Strategy 4: Mini Whiteboards

1. Why is it needed?

Mini-whiteboards are small, wipe-clean surfaces. Coupled with erasable pens, mini whiteboards are simple and effective learning tools, particularly for AfL (assessment for learning). Whilst teachers are not allowed to circulate the classroom, it is even harder for teachers to check students’ understanding and progress; by using mini whiteboards, teachers can see the whole class response within seconds, whist maintaining social distance.

Mini-whiteboards are an instant formative assessment tool that allow teachers to engage with the thinking, understanding and progress of all students at once.
There is no more efficient way to find out a) who knows and b) who doesn’t have a clue in the class.
They allow teachers to give immediate feedback – and ask follow-up questions.
Mini-whiteboards ensure participation from all students.
They encourage students to forego neatness in favour of risk-taking.

2. How can I approach this?

General tips for using mini-whiteboards in lessons:

Plan questions in advance
Standardise response format (fill the board, write a letter or 2-3 words)
Standardise the show me format (“3-2-1 show me!” or “write-hide-show me”)
Scan from front of the class – the power of mini-whiteboards is maximised if you ensure that you are located in a central position, so that you can quickly scan and read the students’ boards
Correct most common errors or misunderstandings straight away in class
To those who got it right, the question is: ‘how did you work it out?’ Then to those who were slightly wrong: ‘what made you think of that’?

Different ways of using mini-whiteboards in class: