Online Whiteboard for Math Tutoring: 7 Techniques That Work

29 Oct, 2026 Educastic Team

In this article

1. Work on a grid, always
2. Build worked examples line by line
3. Let the student hold the pen
4. Graph it instead of describing it
5. Mark up the student's own homework
6. Use a fresh tab for each new idea
7. Record the session for revision
A sample 45-minute tutoring session
Frequently asked questions
Try these techniques in your next session

Math is the subject that suffers most when a lesson becomes a video call. Students need to see every line of a solution appear in order, and tutors need to see where a student's working goes wrong. A good online whiteboard makes both possible again. Here are seven techniques that work in one-to-one and small-group math tutoring.

1. Work on a grid, always

Equations drift and graphs bend on a blank page. Switch the board to a dotted or lined grid before you start. Columns line up for long division, coordinates are easy to plot, and student handwriting becomes far easier to read.

2. Build worked examples line by line

Never paste a finished solution. Write it one step at a time and say why each step happens: "We subtract 3 from both sides so the x term is on its own." Use one colour for the steps and a second colour for your reasoning notes in the margin. Students learn the method, not just the answer.

3. Let the student hold the pen

The single most useful thing a tutor can see is a student's own working. Give the student access to the annotation tools and ask them to solve the next problem on the board while thinking out loud. When they make a mistake, you see exactly which line it happened on, and you can take the pen back to show the fix right next to it.

4. Graph it instead of describing it

Abstract ideas such as slope, transformations or where two lines meet become obvious when students can see them. Educastic includes graphing through Desmos, so you can plot a function next to your handwritten working and change it live: "What happens to the line if we double the slope?"

5. Mark up the student's own homework

Ask students to send their homework in the chat or upload it to the board, then go through it together. Circle the step where it went wrong, write the correct step beside it, and ask the student to finish the problem from there. This fixes the actual misunderstanding instead of a generic one.

6. Use a fresh tab for each new idea

When a page fills up, open a new board tab rather than erasing. At the end of the session you have a clean sequence of pages: definitions, worked examples, practice problems and the summary. Students can download the session's resources as a single PDF to revise from.

7. Record the session for revision

Math clicks at different times for different students. Record each session so students can rewatch the explanation right before a test. Many tutors find students ask fewer repeat questions once recordings are available.

A sample 45-minute tutoring session

Minutes	Activity
0 to 5	Review: one problem from last session, solved by the student on the board
5 to 20	New topic: worked example built line by line on a grid
20 to 35	Practice: the student solves two problems with the pen, thinking aloud
35 to 40	Visualise: graph the topic in Desmos and explore one "what if"
40 to 45	Summary tab, homework set, recording shared

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need to tutor math online? A computer, a headset and ideally a drawing tablet or stylus for handwriting. The whiteboard itself runs in the browser.

Can students write on the whiteboard too? Yes. In Educastic the tutor grants a student access to the annotation tools and can take it back at any time.

Does Educastic have a graphing tool? Yes. It includes graphing through an integration with Desmos, plus a scientific calculator.

Is it free to use? Educastic includes all of its teaching features in the free version.