Each week in my math class, my students take what they have learned conceptually and procedurally and apply it to an activity we call whiteboard practice. Donate to this project and help support our mathematical practice through whiteboards and markers!
I am privileged to teach 55 of Boston's greatest mathematical minds.
My students attend a pilot middle school in Boston. In my math classroom, we "focus on the future and reach for our C.A.P." My kids are content masters, showing off their mastery of the math we learn. My kids are articulate speakers and expository writers, able to demonstrate their skills in writing and verbally. My kids are persistent problem solvers, recognizing that neither math nor life is easy, and that making mistakes is the only way we'll learn and grow. Half of my students walk to school. The other half takes the bus. All of them live in what is designated as "high poverty" and have been under-served in education their entire lives. They are curious. They are tough. And most importantly, they are starving for success in math.
My Project
My students jump at the chance to put down our math packets and pencils, throw aside the worksheets and textbooks, and engage in whiteboard practice. Sometimes we play "scribe and sage" and sometimes answering problems correctly wins your team points. With an opportunity to scaffold quickly, to differentiate for all students, and to monitor my students' procedural growth, I as a teacher am just as excited.
We currently use page protectors with paper inside as our "whiteboards" and washable markers with tissues for erasers. While the kids still love the activity, the boards become ghosted with marker residue and become harder to write on and see. Because they are so thin, they also frequently tear. Because of that, every month we use time to take inventory, throw out markers, and make new whiteboards, rather than learning.
I'm asking for pencils, gridded whiteboards and markers to make our practice time more useful and more efficient.
A donation to this project supports mathematical proficiency by giving students another opportunity to find joy in math.
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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 Ms. H. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.