DIY Whiteboards for Students

DIY whiteboards for students take less than five minutes to make for a class set and the benefits are immeasurable! 

I absolutely LOVE quick response boards. We have used them for several activities like math daily work, vocabulary, spelling and more. I find that the students LOVE writing with dry erase markers, and I love how quickly I can assess who is understanding the concept and who is not.

Beyond engagement and assessment, there are many more benefits:

1. Active Learning:
   • Writing on response boards promotes active learning. Students are not just passive listeners but actively involved in the learning process, which can enhance understanding and retention.
2. Variety of Learning Styles:
   • Different students have different learning styles, and response boards cater to visual and kinesthetic learners. Writing and drawing on the board provide a tactile and visual element to the learning experience.
3. Anonymity and Equity:
   • Some students may be hesitant to speak up in class. Response boards allow for anonymous participation, making it more comfortable for students to share their thoughts. 
4. Classroom Management:
   • Using response boards can contribute to better classroom management. Teachers can quickly see who is participating and monitor the overall understanding of the class, making it easier to identify and address any issues.
5. Customization:
   • Response boards can be adapted to various subjects and activities. Whether it’s solving math problems, diagramming sentences, brainstorming ideas, or illustrating concepts, response boards offer versatility in instructional methods.
6. Motivation:
   • The interactive and dynamic nature of response boards can be motivating for students. It breaks the routine of traditional teaching methods and adds an element of novelty to the classroom.

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Found a Thrifty Solution

When I first started teaching I purchased those nice (expensive) white dry erase wooden boards. At the end of each year, I would have to set a few aside because they would crack or peel, and let’s face it, not many students are excited about having to write on a less than perfect board.

My solution to this problem? Page protectors!

I have implemented this method ever since trying it out for the first time. First of all, they are SO much easier to store. I used to place them all in a bin, and they fit perfectly. The last few years, I have had students store them in a pouch or folder in their desk along with the marker and eraser, and it worked extremely well.

Another benefit is that they are very durable. I have worked with the same stack of response “boards” for several years at a time!

Lastly, but definitely not least, I bought a pack of 50 for less than $10! Talk about “THRIFTY!”

How to Make the DIY Whiteboard for Students

All you need is one page protector per student and preferable one white cardstock per student.

Insert the white cardstock into the page protector, and you’re done.

Make sure to have a dry eraser marker and eraser for each student. My experience has taught me that using BLACK dry erase markers is the best option because other colors can leave a colored residue on the page protector. Socks or black felt squares make good erasers. That’s it! You now have quick response boards for your students that were easy to make and thrifty in price. If you buy a large pack of page protectors you can save them for future years or use them to create comma work mat binders to use in centers.