Chalkboards - Hate The Sound - Love The Concept

Okay, so you just read the title of this blog.  Are the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end?  I've always hated the sounds of a chalkboard, the squeeky sounds of when the angle of the chalk goes astray, or the sounds of many nasty fingernails going up and down the cat-tongue-like texture of the board.

Well, now that I'm a teacher I love chalkboards.  I don't hold favorable thoughts on dry-erase boards.  They smell, you have to purchase expensive pens/markers, and they are too smooth.  There is no challenge when using them.

Chalkboards (especially the old-fashioned kind) give children the resistance needed to strengthen their upper arms.  Dry-erase boards just let a simple, easy gliding movement do the work.  With a chalkboard, there is a workout!

We spent time outside today - a lot of time.  We blew bubbles, weeded the garden, planted a few more seeds, replanted some flower bulbs, played T-Ball, and used sidewalk chalk.

I was so happy when I noticed some of the kids had used the chalk on the fence.  I can just imagine the muscle strength they used to go across the grain of the wood.

Way to go, little ones!  You never cease to amaze me!