If you follow my Instagram account, you already know that whiteboard art is a huge part of my classroom. Students who aren’t in my class know me as ‘the teacher who draws in the morning’ and teachers know me for being crazy enough to do them all the time. I am asked TONS of questions about my whiteboards so I figured I’d gather them and create one big post…AKA my frequently asked questions, are right here.
- How often do you do a whiteboard?
- Every day! It really isn’t as time consuming as you’d think when you get into the habit. Sometimes I do have guest artists though!
- Have you always done a daily whiteboard?
- No actually! My first year teaching I was in a pretty strict school creatively thinking. If it wasn’t part of the curriculum there wasn’t time for it. However, I left the school after my first year and my friend Holly (who had my old students after me) got the principal to agree to let her do it. So I would post my boards in the morning and my first got to experience them too!
- How long does a whiteboard take you?
- At first they took me FOREVER. I wanted them to be PERFECT. Perfects not realistic though, I’m not perfect and neither are my boards. I typically spend 5-15 minutes on a board, 20 max if it has an intricate drawing. There is a few that take longer that I really love doing (Wild Wednesday) so I save those for parent-teacher conference nights when I am killing time in between and I can’t pull out anything big. See one in action here.
- When do you make your whiteboard?
- I TRY to make them before I leave school the day before. However certain days that isn’t an option so I do it in the morning. This honestly depends on the time of year. Right now my current schedule is Monday is made Friday afternoon, Tuesday is made Tuesday morning, Wednesday is made Tuesday afternoon, Thursday is made Thursday morning, and Friday is made Thursday afternoon. Good luck following that word mess, seriously.
- When do you fit whiteboards into your daily schedule?
- Morning work! Our students can come to school between 8:35-9:05, they get breakfast and head to class. When they get to class they get started. We stop by 9:15 latest, unless it’s a more powerful board, and I give them their time.
- Where do you get your ideas?
- Literally everywhere. Pinterest, Google, Instagram, alliteration websites, signs, the kids, other teachers, games, my Mom and sister…you get the point. My suggestion is if you like something snap a pic or write it in a note, whatever works for you!!
- How do you do that handwriting?
- Tons of practice! Hand lettering has become such a big thing recently which is awesome because there is free resources ALL over the internet. I typically follow some hand lettering hashtags and try to teach myself!
- Do you run out of markers constantly?
- Surprisingly no. I think because I use all of them so much, I am aware of keeping them all at my board and not letting them go mysteriously missing. I also make sure that I am checking the caps often so that I make sure not to let any dry out.I also should mention I use them to the last drop of ink…literally. My dark blue may become a light blue sky and a black might make a gray elephant. I really try to be cautious of my usage. I buy 2-3 packs in the beginning of the year and they really do last me!
- What do you use to make them?
- I typically use Expo markers or Walmart brand! I also use pencil erasers to erase out tiny details!
- Do you trace your whiteboards?
- Nope! I try my best either from my imagination or googling a pictures on my phone and drawing them!
- What do the students write in?
- They each have a composition book! This works best for my room because our students start the year with two which is typically how many they use within the year. They also typically go on sale at staples at the end of the summer so I can stock up too!Full disclosure, I have tried binders and spiral notebooks in the past. They just didn’t hold up to the daily wear and tear!
- What are the student expectations?
- My students come in every morning, unpack, do their lunch count, and then start journaling. They must write the date and the main part of the heading each day. From there the expectations are dependent on the individual student and the time of the year. Typically my students write about five sentences in the beginning of the year, and by the end they fill the page!
What other whiteboard questions do you have? Have you tried them in your room?
