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Glass boards for the classroom - they are the future

Glass boards for the classroom - how the principal was taught a lesson

Being the principal is tough: I have to enforce the rules, manage a big staff and stick to a very tight budget. I am not always the most popular person.

Apparently, my worst trait is being a cheapskate. Yep, I’ve heard the whispers - Queen of Cheapskates (or just The Queen for short), Triple P (Parsimonious Penny-pincher) and my personal favourite Scrooge McDunkley (my family name is, as you’ve probably guessed, Dunkley). And that’s just what I overhear in the staffroom! But hey, it’s all part of the job.

So how did I acquire those particular pet names? Ok, I’ll admit I’ve scrimped and scraped on resources and equipment. But, in my defence, I thought perhaps if I saved a little there I could put it to better use elsewhere in the school - we could really do with some new computers.

But I had no idea how wrong I was. Or how much of a problem it would cause. Nor did I know the biggest issue the staff and students had: the state of the classroom whiteboards.

Whiteboard quality matters day to day

Apparently, out of all the “rubbish” I’ve bought over the years, the purchases that have had the biggest negative impact on school morale have been the whiteboards.

I’ll admit, the ones I bought back in the day weren’t the best quality. I really didn’t know how bad the staining and ghosting had become. They were becoming unusable and teachers were even deliberately avoiding using them. Visual learning is incredibly important so this was really concerning.

I wish I’d known all this sooner. And I also wish I’d known that there was a whiteboard that didn’t stain or ghost - the glassboard. There is a reason they are known as “the writing boards of the future”.

Anyway, all this came to a head at the last all-staff meeting.

The staff meeting from hell

After running through the usual agenda, a teacher raised the issue of the atrocious state of the existing whiteboards. She wanted to ditch them and install glassboards in every classroom. It sounded pricey to me and I didn’t take her concerns too seriously, still naively believing the school’s funds could be better spent elsewhere.

Then the other teachers joined in. I was shocked that some of them even got heated and called me even worse names, to my face - hey, I might be cheap but I’m not nasty!

I’ll admit I was a little hurt and even though I knew they had a point, I walked out of the meeting … and took no action. Unfortunately, they did.

The glassboard petition

The teacher raised her concerns with some fellow members of her church, who just happen to be well-to-do alumni that send their children to our school!

They were told how I scrimped on classroom essentials like glassboards and bought cheap resources. They then decided to write a petition, which not only voiced the parents’ concern about the education of their children being compromised, but implied that if things didn’t change, they’d have to seriously consider removing their children from the school.

The petition also called for a change in the school’s purchasing policy, with a focus on quality over price. And the first action item in the petition was, of course, to install glassboards in every classroom.

It was signed by the other teachers, some of the school’s most important parents, members of the school board and leaders of the P&C.

The next staff meeting

The teachers handed me the petition at the next staff meeting. I, naturally, was shocked to receive it. And ashamed I hadn’t listened sooner.

Yes, one of my key KPIs is to ensure high enrolment numbers, but that wasn’t the only reason I agreed to all the petition’s demands - it was simply the best move for the school. So we’d have to wait a little longer for new computers, but having new glass whiteboards meant the kids could take their learning to a new level immediately.

I contacted WhiteboardsOnline and ordered glassboards straight away for all of the classrooms - turns out they were much cheaper than I thought and the installation was quick, simple and straightforward.

No more staining, no more ghosting

I’ve still got a tight grip on the purse strings, but I’ve learned that there are times when you can't argue with quality when it's really necessary. With the new glassboards in the classrooms everyone’s now happy: teachers, students, parents and especially me.

I love the new glassboard I installed in my office. Well, if you can't beat them!

Why choose a WhiteboardsOnline whiteboard?

WhiteboardsOnline will help you find the answer you’re after. We offer Australia-wide delivery to your door. Contact us today on 1800 654 911 or info@whiteboardsonline.com.au

Guest Author: Dr. A. Metivier