Fewer Behavior Issues, More Focus: How Writable Walls Reduce Off-Task Disruptions

Whiteboard paint can be an invaluable tool in handling disruptive behavior in K-12 classrooms. Whether it’s a brief incident or the result of a long-standing behavioral issue, disorderly conduct is easier to manage with whiteboard painted surfaces. In this blog post we’ll explore some effective strategies for addressing classroom disruptions through the use of walls and individual writing boards coated with premium whiteboard paint.

1. Handling Disruptions during Lessons

Promoting active participation in class: Using whiteboard-painted mini writing boards or lapboards can replace traditional methods, such as raising hands, to respond to questions. This approach will prompt all class members to participate actively during lessons. The boards can keep learners engaged in lesson content and cut down on off-task or unruly behavior. When students know their teacher will be regularly checking the work they do on their lapboards, they tend to stay focused on lessons and avoid acting disruptively.

Teachers or the school maintenance crew can make the boards by coating 9 X 12 pieces of biodegradable hardboard, also known as high-density fiberboard (HDF), with a primer, a base coat and then a layer of premium whiteboard paint. Doing so is more eco-friendly than purchasing pre-made mini whiteboards, which are typically made of non-biodegradable melamine or have a melamine coating. Hardboard is uniform, has no grain like wood does, and has a smooth, durable surface. Thus, it’s perfect for making mini writing boards for students.

Giving instantaneous feedback: Teachers can keep an eye on students’ progress and provide immediate feedback as students respond to questions on their mini writing boards. This practice allows for well-timed interventions when necessary. The fact that the boards are right in front of learners during lessons helps them see their thinking processes up close and avoid going off task. It also helps teachers observe students’ ideas about lesson content and determine how much they understand about a given topic.

Just as individual writing boards coated with whiteboard paint allow teachers to give instant feedback, they also make revisions easy. If students make mistakes during a lesson, they can erase the incorrect parts of their work with a piece of cloth. Then they’ll be able to think about their wrong answer and quickly write a different one on their mini boards. Using this approach avoids the messiness of writing, erasing, and rewriting answers with a pen and paper. It’s also more fun for students to write with low-odor dry erase markers on handy mini writing boards than with pencils on paper.

Redirecting off-task behavior: Redirecting off-task behavior in a classroom involves smoothly leading students back to the task at hand without disrupting the lesson or causing them discomfort. This can be accomplished through non-verbal signals, proximity to students, positive reinforcement, or brief verbal reminders. Teachers can also use their whiteboard painted walls to nudge students back on task through quick written reminders during lessons. 

2. Handling ongoing behavioral concerns

Walls and individual mini boards coated with whiteboard paint are also ideal for creating various types of visual aids. You can use these to help address ongoing behavioral issues and reinforce positive conduct in class.

Visual prompts and schedules: Teachers can prominently display lesson schedules, reminders about expectations, and classroom procedures on their whiteboard painted walls. Doing so will help students understand exactly what’s required of them and reduce feelings of uncertainty and unease. Posting written reminders and schedules is especially helpful for learners who have trouble processing aural information and prefer to learn through visual means. The vast surface area of a whiteboard wall allows you to write in large letters and numerals. For this reason, students who tend to be disruptive will have a clear understanding of what they should be doing and how they should behave throughout the day.

Token boards: Teachers can use whiteboard painted walls to create token boards to positively reinforce good conduct. A token board is a visual system used to fortify positive behaviors. It’s a concrete, visual approach whereby teachers award tokens for desired behaviors and students later exchange the tokens for prizes or privileges. 

Using this strategy helps students to understand the relationship between their conduct in class and its direct consequences. It also offers an orderly way for learners to monitor their behavioral progress and stay on task during lessons. By earning tokens, children associate their positive actions with prizes, thus encouraging them to repeat such actions.

The possibility of earning prizes may motivate students to stay focused on their lessons and engage only in appropriate behavior. This is especially true for learners who struggle with paying attention and comprehending verbal lesson content.

Reward charts: Another visual reward system, known as a reward chart, designates specific behavioral goals for students to pursue, with spaces to place reward stickers each time they engage in behaviors you’re trying to foster. For example, you can use the chart to prompt students to be polite, tidy up, or finish their classwork. Making behavioral goals clear and precise is essential. For example, instead of writing, “Be polite,” on the chart, you can write, “Remember to say ‘please’ when asking for something.” A reward chart shows each learner how far they’ve come in pursuing good behavior and motivates them to keep going in a positive direction.

Managing Transitions: Visual timers written on the classroom whiteboard painted wall can help students to make transitions between various class activities or subjects. This may help to reduce nervousness in students and support smoother shifts between lessons.

Social Stories: You can present social stories, describing social situations and expectations on the whiteboard painted wall to help students understand and deal with group interactions. Social stories are types of narratives that teachers and counselors used to instruct students about social situations and related appropriate behaviors. They’re brief, descriptive accounts that give details about a specific state of affairs, the social cues involved, and the anticipated responses. 

Being short and simple, social stories are designed so that students can easily understand and digest them. Due to their concise nature, social stories are easy for teachers to present in their entirety on whiteboard painted walls.

3. Creating Classroom Guidelines

Collaborative Rule Writing: Teachers can involve learners in the process of generating classroom rules and learning expectations. Writing these directives on your whiteboard painted wall will give students a feeling of ownership and shared responsibility for staying on task.

Behavioral Contracts: You can display written agreements describing anticipated behaviors and their consequences on the whiteboard painted wall. You can also work collaboratively with your class to create these agreements. When students have the chance to input into the contract, it increases their buy-in.  In other words, they’ll be more willing to actively support and participate in their lessons and class activities when they have a say in creating the guidelines.

They’ll come to understand the value of what teachers are doing and participate willingly and actively in class without feeling the need to be disruptive.  These constant reminders of what is expected of them will help students keep track of their behaviors and maintain an on-task attitude.

4. Use of whiteboard painted surfaces reduces disruptions

A recent study on collaborative classroom design found that giving students increased access to lesson content through physical tools like whiteboard painted walls and lapboards led to a 12–18% drop in disruptive behavior. This was especially true in middle school settings.

Although dry erase painted walls and lapboards can be helpful in reducing behavioral disruptions, over-reliance on repetitive teaching methods can hinder creativity. So, make sure you use these surfaces sensibly and in interesting ways.

By carefully incorporating whiteboard painted surfaces into your teaching strategies, you can create a highly structured, controllable, and engaging classroom environment. This, in turn, will lead to fewer behavioral disruptions and improved student outcomes. 

Summary

Article Name

Fewer Behavior Issues, More Focus: How Writable Walls Reduce Off-Task Disruptions

Description

Writable walls reduce off-task behavior and boost focus by turning classroom walls into engaging, interactive learning tools.

Author

Susan Anspach

Publisher Name

ReMARKable Whiteboard Paint

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