38 students. One teacher. A schoolwide push for all 8th graders to take advanced math. How can each pupil get the individual attention he or she needs, especially in such a difficult course?
Our urban California school was nearly shut down 8 years ago, and reconstituted with a new, dynamic staff and administration, as well as a renewed focus on parent engagement and student achievement.
Despite facing poverty, long-distance busing, and other life challenges, our students (drawn from all the neighborhoods, ethnicities, and socioeconomic strata in the city) want to succeed.
My Project
As a first-year teacher with classes going up to 38 students, I had no idea how to keep them all engaged. They have so many needs- from Special Ed to ELL to math they never had a chance to learn- and there's only one of me. I came up with the idea of individual whiteboards as a way to let me check everyone's understanding of a concept at once, so I know who needs my attention first.
The main use of whiteboards is for me to get an idea of where the class is on a particular concept. By giving students a minute or so to work a problem, and having them all hold up their whiteboards for me, I can instantly see what percentage of the kids "get it," as well as what mistakes they're making. Best of all, since the whiteboards are all facing me, kids avoid the embarrassment of public wrong answers in front of their peers.
I have also included a request for a small number of additional school supplies for needy students.
These boards have transformed my classroom.
I use them for their Do Nows, to check comprehension during my teaching, for guided practice, and even for exit assessments. Not only do I have instant mastery data I can use to adjust my lesson plan and pacing, but even the most recalcitrant or combative students can't resist picking up a whiteboard marker. I wish they were standard-issue supplies for ANY math teacher, but until then, I'm counting on you!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. S. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.