Should we let students write on tables?

Imagine a class full of students hurriedly scribbling on their desks. ‘Where’s the teacher?’ you may think, or ‘Carnage!’ But it’s the opposite. The teacher smiles, seeing students fully engaged with the assigned classroom activity, and learning much from it. Everyone has something to contribute, and there’s some great group work going on.

Kirsty Patterson, assistant editor for teaching resources at the Royal Society of Chemistry and ex secondary school science teacher, explains why she thinks allowing your students to write on tables from time to time could be a great addition to your classroom toolkit.