When I taught elementary school one of my favorite most-used, must-have learning tools were mini whiteboards for all my students. Since buying a whole set (out of my own pocket) was going to be pretty pricey one of my teacher friends and I went to Lowes bought a huge piece of shiny white panel board (also called shower board) for less than $15, and asked the hardware department worker to cut the board into manageable pieces. I think we each got about 30 mini-boards out of one 4′ x 8′ piece of panel board. I used those dry erase boards almost every day in my classroom during reading or math and my students loved them.
Fast forwarding to now, I’m getting geared up to start a new school year at home with my kiddos and wanted to hang the chart pieces on a dry erase board (so I can eaily move the pieces around and write the times next to the activities). The other day I asked Jared to stop in at Lowes and pick up a piece of board for me. I had the perfect wall in mind and I only wanted the board 2′x5′. But then he came home with a HUGE piece of board because they wouldn’t cut it for him at the store.
{Dang, I guess I should have gone myself and batted my eyelashes a bit.} I seem to remember my friend and I were able to convince the department worker before by explaining we were elementary school teachers.
Anyway, Jared was planning on cutting the board to my prefered size himself but when I saw how big it was I thought it could be super cool to have a gigantic whiteboard for the kids to color on so I had him hang it as is. We put it in the laundry/mudroom where it’s easily accessible yet out of the main living space (cause it would look pretty tacky hanging in the living room!).
Love it. (But beware, red dry erase markers tend to stain the showerboard, but black, green, and blue erase well.)
I agree! I scored mini ones for the boys to use as practice boards this year at Target in the dollar bins! They even have the dashed lines for handwriting!
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pameladonnis Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 6:53 pm
No way! I’m going to have to see if my Target has some too! The closest one is an hour away though…bummer.
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Got to love whiteboards – my classes always loved doing stuff on the mini-ones.
Never was too much of a fan of the stain I always had on the heel of my hand though from writing on the main whiteboard in my classroom
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pameladonnis Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Yeah, the stain isn’t so fun. Way better than using a chalkboard though
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