Wanna know why I think that everybody should own a timer for classroom use? I will tell you! Because you can really improve time on task of your students. In many ways, it can help classroom management and they’re fun to use as well. There’s an element of competition involved if students only have a finite amount of time to finish something, although that’s of course not always what you want. See if this is something your group of students could benefit from!
A while ago, I had at least one super rowdy group and one mildly rowdy one in front of me on a daily basis. They were having so much fun together and really weren’t mean-spirited, but they weren’t finishing the work either. I had to think of something that would keep them on track with their learning, without being too strict on them. Because that would also backfire, I knew that. So I started using a timer! Let me tell you what I did.
Why use a classroom timer?
Some benefits of using a timer during your lessons are:
- It will keep students on task while the timer is running, in order to be done before it runs out. This also motivates them to work more efficiently.
- And it will show students how much time they should be spending on something, as well as how much time they still have left. This teaches them about time management.
- It can help the teacher manage their time better as well, so that they can cover all that they want to in the time given.
- Timers help with transitions. It’s clear that when a timer runs out, one activity is done and the next one can begin. There is less time for students to get distracted.
- It provides structure to the lesson, which will show students what is expected of them.
When to use a timer for classroom management
As I said, I was facing this really rowdy group that just wouldn’t work at all. For them, it helped to clearly see the timer run on a board or something big, because it really made them complete the work instead of talk to each other. That was my main focus here, not getting them to work quicker necessarily. I didn’t want them to rush through the work, so if you have a group that would do that, timer use is not for you. But I really saw improvement with these students for the aforementioned reasons.
What activities to use it with
So when do timers for classroom use come in handy? Let me tell you when I use them!
- During work on assignments in textbooks or worksheets that students complete individually.
- For group work that needs to be finished at a set time.
- When I do a statement carousel, in which students only have a set amount of time to discuss each statement on a wall.
- For speed dating sessions that I use for speaking practice.
- When we move through a transition to the next activity and I want them to know how fast I expect them to be done.
- During a quiz or test, to show them how much time they have left.
Best timer for classroom use
There’s several options you can choose from when you are thinking of using a timer. There’s a timer for classroom online. This website is my favorite to use, although when I looked into it, I thought this one looked cool too. Or you can use the one that Google provides. This will only work if you a) have an Internet connection, and b) are using a smartboard or beamer.
But what I really love is a timer for classroom board use! A new colleague brought it in at the start of this year, and just look how cool it looks. It’s a big block that just sticks to the board magnetically, and thus is always visible. The numbers are super clear and visible and you can use a variety of settings on it. I don’t know, I have a weirdly intimate love for the thing 🙂
And that’s my take on having a timer for classroom use! Will you try using one? I hope it will help you and that your students will enjoy it too!
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