Some students have difficulty regulating themselves and keeping track of time in their head
Some students need more defined and predictable structure
The timer can provide motivation as the student can try to “beat” the clock
Some students respond better to an object setting boundaries than an adult telling them what to do
When should I do it:
When student has difficulty staying on task
When a student takes too long to finish a task
When a student has low motivation
When a student frequently fails to complete work on time even though they are capable
When a student is reluctant to follow verbal directives, warnings, signals, and indicators
When a student responds poorly to verbally being told to do something
How do I do it:
Get a small timer and place on student’s desk
For each assignment, give student several minutes to complete it
If timer is too distracting for student, keep it on your desk but show student how much time they have
You can also break up the assignment and use the timer for each portion
Challenge the student to beat the timer
With oppositional and defiant students, shift the students focus away from you telling them what to do by “blaming” the timer, for example, “the timer says you a few minutes left”
