As a 5th grade teacher at Lineville Intermediate School, Meaghan Walder has been in the same classroom for 10 years. She has transformed it from a dingy room to a tropical retreat complete with a cabana umbrella and colorful leis adorning the walls.
Her SmartBoard provides a surface to interact with students but all her usable chalkboards were covered in fabric and posters. She hated writing with chalk and couldn’t stand the mess it made. She didn’t have the $1600 budget to replace her chalkboards with two new 4’ x 16’ dry-erase boards.
Complaining about the situation with the school’s custodian, Steve DeBauche, he suggested she try SlapStick dry-erase covers. SlapStick is made of flexible material digitally cut to fit inside the frame of the existing chalkboard. All you do is peel and stick over the board. They have a removable adhesive but will stay up indefinitely. And with a price tag of $640, it was certainly a possibility.
Installation of four 4’x8’ SlapStick boards took 45 minutes to complete by Steve and myself using a dry-erase eraser to smooth the board into place. Steve and I have installed about 20 boards at Lineville Intermediate School and each time it gets easier and faster.
The new whiteboards not only brighten the room but she can add tropical colors with dry-erase markers. Keeping kids interested and entertained is how Meaghan grabs their attention throughout the day.
