Explore how integrating timers as classroom resources can enhance time management, improve student focus & facilitate smoother transitions.

&nbsp;As a former teacher, I can say with certainty that there’s never enough time in the day. There aren’t enough seconds to run to the restroom. There aren’t enough hours to get to every fun activity you had planned. And there aren’t enough eons to finish grading all of the assessments you collected from the few fun activities you did manage to get to. But what if there was a way to eke out chunks of time throughout the day so that you could be a more effective and productive teacher? The good news is, a tool already exists for just this. It isn’t flashy, costly, or even new. In fact we all have them on our phones and in our kitchens. It’s a timer.
Timers are an incredibly underutilized tool by teachers and<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/time-is-on-their-side-teachers-are-using-countdown-clocks-as-a-classroom-tool/2019/08/08/bcecf402-b956-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html?noredirect=on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> anecdotal literature is increasingly supportive of using timers in the classroom</a>.¹ The phrase “working the clock” has even been coined to describe effective teaching habits. Research also outlines that the human attention span can range anywhere from <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/advan.00109.2016" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">8 seconds to 15 minutes</a>², so to squeeze every ounce of focus time students have, timers are a must. The <a href="https://psychcentral.com/adhd/how-to-adapt-the-pomodoro-technique-adhd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pomodoro Method (using a schedule of 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of break)</a>³ has been suggested to <a href="https://psychcentral.com/adhd/how-to-adapt-the-pomodoro-technique-adhd#things-to-avoid-to-stay-on-track" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">benefit students with ADHD</a>³. But what are specific ways that timers can be used to increase your instructional efficiency? Below you can find just that:
<h3>● Academic Tasks:</h3>

 ○&nbsp;Turn &amp; Talk or Think-Pair-Share - Pausing instruction to allow student discourse about a problem, a question, or a resource is an impactful way to have all learners engaged. If a time limit and structure are given, the sense of urgency can keep students on task.


 ○&nbsp;Debates - While the news anchors may struggle to keep politicians in-check, if you stick to the predetermined time limits students gain a chance to summarize and focus on the key components of their argument.


 ○&nbsp;&nbsp;Presentations - Public speaking is frequently listed as the number one fear on many surveys (Comedian Jerry Seinfeld joked that people would prefer to be in the casket rather than giving the eulogy). However, if we set a time limit for students they are frontloaded with a piece of information that allows them to practice and become more comfortable.


 ○&nbsp;&nbsp;Assessments - Educators may be hesitant to use timers due to a fear of instilling a sense of anxiety in their students. However, new research studying timed math assessments “<a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/do-timed-tasks-really-worsen-math-anxiety/2024/08" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">did not find that timing causes math anxiety</a>”⁴ (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022440524000360#:~:text=Despite%20the%20large%20evidence%20base,anxiety%20at%20the%20elementary%20level" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Study here</a>⁵ but don’t have link to full text).

<h3>● Logistics:</h3>

 ○&nbsp;&nbsp;Transitions - Whether it’s time to line up, moving from one activity to another, or going from desks to the carpet, transitions can cause lost time. Timers can not only make these more efficient, but you can turn transitions into a challenge or gamify them by having the class try to beat their best time. <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/classroom-management-transitions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Additionally, this blog post specifically delves into managing transitions</a>.

<h3>●&nbsp;Social Emotional Needs</h3>

 ○&nbsp;&nbsp;Self Regulation - These techniques (i.e. breathing techniques, metacognition, positive affirmations, and journaling) are most effective when taught prior to a crisis. That said, giving students a prescribed time frame to meditate, use a calm down corner, journal, etc. can be less daunting than an open ended block.


 ○&nbsp;&nbsp;Reminders for Educators - I worked with a teacher who made it a habit to use a timer to remind her to praise her students. This timer was a driver in creating a more positive classroom community, and I can say without fail her students always felt like their needs were being met.

Despite the fact that there are a plethora of uses for timers in the classroom they aren’t always needed. In fact, overusing them, like any other strategy, will hinder their novelty. Additionally, using timers during deeper conversations or teachable moments could not only detract from any academic discussion but it could potentially deteriorate rapport.
In short, if you use timers to wring out a measly extra five minutes a day for an entire school year you’ll end up with 15 bonus hours of your time back. That’s the difference between grading an assignment every weekend or enjoying an episode of your favorite show. Using this newly found time to build a stronger classroom community can pay compounding interest as students will be more engaged and more enthusiastic about school on the whole. Use timers and reclaim your seconds, your students’ attention, and your sanity.
<h4>References:</h4>
<ol>
 <li style="margin-left:20px">Matthews, J. (2019, August 9). Time is on their side: teachers are using countdown clocks as a classroom tool. The Washington Post, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/time-is-on-their-side-teachers-are-using-countdown-clocks-as-a-classroom-tool/2019/08/08/bcecf402-b956-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html?noredirect=on" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/time-is-on-their-side-teachers-are-using-countdown-clocks-as-a-classroom-tool/2019/08/08/bcecf402-b956-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html?noredirect=on</a></li>
 <li style="margin-left:20px">Bradbury, N. A. (2016). Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds, 10 minutes, or more? Advances in Physiology Education, 40(4), 509–513. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00109.2016</li>
 <li style="margin-left:20px">Drake, K. (2021, September 1). Adapting the pomodoro technique for your work style. Psych Central. <a href="https://psychcentral.com/adhd/how-to-adapt-the-pomodoro-technique-adhd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://psychcentral.com/adhd/how-to-adapt-the-pomodoro-technique-adhd</a>&nbsp;</li>
 <li style="margin-left:20px">Sawchuk, S. (2024, August 16). Do timed tasks really worsen math anxiety?. Education Week. <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/do-timed-tasks-really-worsen-math-anxiety/2024/08" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/do-timed-tasks-really-worsen-math-anxiety/2024/08</a>&nbsp;</li>
 <li style="margin-left:20px">Maki, K. E., Zaslofsky, A. F., Codding, R., &amp; Woods, B. (2024). Math anxiety in elementary students: Examining the role of timing and task complexity. Journal of School Psychology, 106, 101316. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101316" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101316</a></li>
</ol>
<h4> </h4>

The Benefits of Using Timers in the Classroom

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Timers: An Underrated Classroom Resource

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