Using the blackboard
Using the blackboard effectively requires considerable practice. Although
most of us will recognize ineffective blackboard practices when we see them,
obvious errors frequently mar our first attempts at developing this skill.
Unlike the information we convey verbally in the classroom, information that
is placed on the blackboard will generally be copied verbatim into your students'
notes. Therefore, it is extremely important that you carefully monitor not
only what you put on the blackboard but also how you put it there. The following
are just a few of the most basic reminders to get you thinking about developing
effective blackboard techniques.
- Begin by removing all the board work that is left over from a previous
class.
- When you solve problems on the blackboard, remember that students
use what you write as a model for their own problem-solving behavior.
Do not put work on the blackboard that you would not like to find on
a homework assignment or test.
- Always read aloud when you write. Otherwise
your students will be copying what's on the board after you have gone
on to the next point.
- Before elaborating on the information you have put
on the board, turn around and face the class. If they look lost or are
scribbling furiously, wait a minute or two before proceeding.
- Periodically
check your blackboard work by walking to the back of the room after class.
Can you reconstruct the points you were making easily from what is left
on the board? Is the writing large and heavy enough to read easily?
- Do not erase new material until you have been away from the board for
several minutes.
- If you naturally have very small handwriting or if your
handwriting is difficult to read, try printing when you write on the
board.
- After you have put new material on the board, underline or put
boxes around important points to emphasize them.
