Any suggestions for a math teacher having to teach in a science lab with an immobile, unwanted demo table.?

Question

I am a first year teacher and I just saw my classroom for the first time today. Unfortunately, my excitement faded when I found that I was given a science lab to teach math in. In the front of the room is a very large demonstration table and eye wash station, both of which are immoveable. I have a dry erase board to use, but it is behind the table, putting the students at least 10-15 feet away. There is no way to move the dry erase board sonce the side walls are lined with cabinets, and the back wall has a door opening leading to the room next door. Does anyone have suggestions to help me?

Answer 1

Can you get an overhead or maybe even some more sophisticated media from your media specialist? If so, is there an area of the room besides the white board to aim the overhead and actually do your board work? Just turn the desks toward the working area. This will focus the kids' attention on what you're demonstrating instead of the eyesore table. Use the whiteboard for daily announcements or homework postings and since it won't be the front of your room - remind them to read it daily.
If you have individual white boards for the kids (even if you only have one per table) that would solve the issue of kids going to the board to work. The more timid kids will participate when allowed to work on a whiteboard while seated.
Good luck in your first year. I know you'll do a super job!

Answer 2

I am a science teacher who has never had a problem with the large demonstration table in front of the room. I once taught math in an "L" shaped room filled with computers. I had a small dry - erase board on an easel and positioned myself at the junction of the "L" so everyone could see. The room is not important. Teachers overcome obstacles like this all the time. I don't know what level math you are talking about, but use a lot of "hands on" if you can. That is really a better way to demonstrate the concepts. Cut up poster board to use for illustrations and tape those to the board. Being able to move the pieces and having different colors will help, too. The demo station is not going to hamper your teaching. You will run into more challenging things as your first year progresses. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I am a 30 year veteran science teacher and am not sure what the problem is with the situation you are describing. However having never taught math, perhaps I do not understand. There are some things you can do, but they might involve some expense for you and I know that begining teachers do not always have a great deal of extra money. You might consider using large sheets of butcher paper on your cabinets and letting students use markers to demonstrate their work. There are large post-it pads that you can get and after writing on them you can easily pull them off and stick them around the room. You can purchase shower board at a local home improvement store and have it mounted over your cabinet doors and use it as dry erase boards (an inexpensive alternative). In addition, most home improvement places will cut the shower board into individual sizes so that students can use them as answer boards with dry erase markers. Good luck in your new assignment! Hope everything goes well.

Answer 4

Look for ways to group students together. That is probably more important. Think about how you want the student seating chart. You can even rearrange your class where the students focus are on somewhere else like the back board, etc.

Find activities you can use the demonstration table. I always have a table where students can turn in work and get handouts, etc.-- kind of like a central station of sort. Start thinking in those terms. Where do you want the main focus? Where do you want the secondary focus?

Answer 5

A.) I use a movable white board to teach mathematics. You can get on pretty cheap at Home Depot or probably Target/Wal-Mart. Just as good as a wall-mount one, only on wheels. Very handy.

B.) Move the desks forward.

C.) Do some demonstrations! Mathematics has plenty of fun physical application that will fascinate students. I mean, don't look at this table as a curse, think of it as an advantage. People learn better if they're interested in the subject.