Autumn Term 11th October 2021

Whole School CPD Focus:

Feedback and Questioning

Walkthru Cluster:

Feedback and Questioning

Walkthru:

‘Show-Me Boards’ (page 94) plus the Teacher Workbook

Starting Point

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPQNXi00r74&t=10s

Reflections…

‘Show-Me’ boards or mini-whiteboards are a low-tech game-changer in terms of feedback and questioning.  As a teacher or teaching assistant, standing in front of a sea of faces, trying to decipher understanding can be difficult.  It comes down to reading body language and non-verbal cues or asking questions (which have to be posed in the right way to gain meaningful and insightful responses).  This is where mini-whiteboards really come into their own.

Sherrington suggests that they are used to sample responses from a whole class and can be an efficient way to gauge the learning and understanding of the class.  Effective implementation of mini-whiteboards relies on routines and practices within each lesson. 

1. Ensure that every student has a board and pen to hand.  Make it part of your entry routine for them to collect these items at the start of the lesson.  Leave them near the door.
2. Set the question with a goal and timeframe.
3. Build in thinking time – allow ALL students to think and articulate their response on their board before being asked to ‘show me’.  If another student jumps the gun, this will interrupt their thinking.
4. Signal: ‘3-2-1 and show me’ – use a crisp, disciplined routine that makes every student show their boards at the same time. Boards should be displayed for as long as you need to see an appropriate sample of responses. Use these answers to inform next steps.
5. Sample student responses and follow-up – scanning the boards will provide a cross-section of correct answers, incorrect answers and common errors of misconceptions.  At this point, Probing Questions or Check for Understanding could be used to determine why students have come to the answer on their mini-whiteboards.

For some teachers, mini-whiteboards were a game-changer during the pandemic as they allowed feedback (avoiding quarantine rules around handling paper).  For others, it will be a case of reinstating whiteboards into daily routines and practices. 

For further inspiration and further reading, try our CPD Library in WLD Teachers Team: adaptive teaching and mini-whiteboards.

CPD Cascade

RSW

Free online training to tackle sexual harassment, language and gender stereotyping.

https://training.ukfeminista.org.uk/

National College

Remember that there are subject-specific watchlists available in National College.