Dry erase markers?!?! UGH!!

 I know that no matter where you teach, you probably have the same problem as me---dry erase markers!?! Do they make you crazy?! Do your kiddos forget to put the caps on? Are they constantly pushing the points in?!? Do they go through them faster than pencils?!? MINE DO!!! I should buy stock in EXPO because of all the dry erase markers I buy.

 Now, I know it's not like they are just purposefully taking the caps off. I know they are using them to play games and it makes their learning engaging.

 And they love the colored markers! Especially the smelly ones that smell like apple or blueberry!

 They love drawing a picture to show their math thinking on their whiteboards. It keeps them engaged!

 They feel confident writing with them, because they can easily wipe off any mistakes and quickly correct.

So how do we solve this marker issue without spending a fortune? I asked this question on my instagram account @ebersmel. Some said to give each student two and keep it along with an eraser in their desk. That way they will take care of 'their own' stuff better than community supplies. Another person said she will loan students dry erase markers in exchange for something else--until they bring in new dry erase markers.  Another person said she only uses dry erase in small group instruction. All these are great tips!! Feel free to comment with any suggestions on how to cut down on the dry erase marker issue!!

Thank you!