Whiteboards

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 | Links, Youth Pastor Toolbox

I must make a disclosure before this latest edition of Youth Pastor Toolbox: I am a whiteboard junkie. I just love them. The first piece of furniture I bought for my new office is a 3×5 whiteboard. It is a great tool for interaction, brainstorming, and drawing colorful pictures. Here are three reasons why you need to incorporate a whiteboard in your ministry:

Though Mapping. When working on a talk, I like to create an outline first, and then fill in the blanks. But as I type, the outline gets more and more distorted. That is why I prefer to figure out my outline on the whiteboard. Then as I craft my message, I only need to glance at the whiteboard to see the whole outline.
Lessons. I am the definition of a concrete visual learner. So when I am speaking, I would much rather show than merely tell. Using a whiteboard during a lesson provides more spontaneity than just a Powerpoint presentation. You can ask students questions and record their responses on the whiteboard. You can draw a map of Israel in order to explain a Bible story clearly. I mostly use the whiteboard to draw rudimentary stick figures as my characters, or write a key word from my talk. That way, the students can hear me talking about that person or word, as well as see it. I personally view whiteboards as the flannelgraphs of the 21st Century.
Communication. Mount a small whiteboard in a “student-friendly” location in your office. Students love to draw on whiteboards (possibly because it reminds them of coloring when they were children?), and they will take the time to draw you as a stick figure, write you messages, and drop quotes from the latest movie. But, with the big picture in mind, these students are taking the time to come into your office. They are meeting you on your ground. This inexpensive whiteboard will provide you with countless chances to talk with students on a more personal level.