You made it to day 3! I love timers. They keep me on track, they are great visuals, they are an awesome skill to begin teaching kids, they help with anxiety, and they can eventually be transferred to a student responsibility!
I use timers for EVERYTHING. I make sure they’re always visible to the class because many of my students have high anxiety and always want to know how long they have left for free time, before I pass out snack, etc.
Timers have also been really useful for behavior plans. For one of my students, if he can be safe with his language, body, and space for 5 minutes (using a timer!) he adds a puzzle piece to his picture puzzle. If he is not being safe he is asked to pause the timer until he is safe again, when he starts the timer back up. His picture puzzle has 4 pieces, so if he was showing ideal behavior, he could have a 5 minute break every 20 minutes. Now, this kiddo is in a really restrictive setting so we know he really never gets a break every 20 minutes because he has to pause the timer quite a bit 🙂 BUT – giving students ownership over their behavior plans really increases buy-in!!
As for my favorite timers… they must be durable and SIMPLE. Some timers have so many buttons and it is really just not needed for what we use them for in the classroom. Here are a few favorites. These are all Amazon affiliate links!
A large, durable, magnetic timer that you can use for whole class needs:
The time-timer is amazing because it really helps students get a visual for how much time has lapsed and how much time they have left. Better for longer time frames, not great for 1-2 minute intervals.
A small timer that’s perfect for individual students. It has a stand and a magnetic back.
What do you use timers for? Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for Day 4!
Love, Allie