Classroom Timers & Executive Functioning

Executive functioning skills are the self-regulating skills that we use to perform the ordinary-  but essential- daily tasks.  We need executive functioning skills to plan, organize, make decisions, control our impulses, prioritize, manage time, and more. As classroom teachers, we know that students who find school challenging often have deficits in their executive functioning skills. Current research indicates just how important these skills are. "Students who have poor executive functioning skills ...are missing out on learning."    How are we helping our students to develop these skills?

If you Google "Executive Functioning Teaching Strategies" you're sure to come across thousands of articles with ideas, approaches, and research. The amount of content can be overwhelming, but one strategy at the top of many of the lists is the use of a timer. Classroom timers can be beneficial to everyone in the classroom, not just those with time management issues.

Benefits of a Visual Timer

Transitions: Time on task is among the most important components of learning. As students transition from one task to the next, a visual timer can minimize transition time from one task to another.

Staying on task and Stamina: Time management can be a challenge for many learners. By using a visual timer in class, students can gain a better understanding of how long tasks take which can, in turn, help students better make decisions about how they use their time.

Establishing Clear Expectations: Timers prevent teachers from becoming the arbitrary enforcer of time. A visual timer provides clarity for students.

Digital Timers to Try 

YouTube: Try searching 5 Minute Timer in YouTube and you'll be shocked at how many there are to choose from. The videos timers have a number of features from background music to countdown frames. Find one that works for you and project on your screen in the classroom.

Tip: You can always embed a timer in a Google Slide Presentation so that it's ready to go. Imagine your students are engaged in a discussion about something they read in class. Put a timer directly in a slide to help keep students focused and on task.

Google Omnibox: In the Chrome search bar, type in "# Minute Timer" and Google creates an instant timer for you. So easy.

Online Stopwatch- This free, easy to use online timer offers a variety of online timers to help kids visualize time. Things like burning candles and sand timers can help young students with the concept of time.

Timerr.Com- This tool offers two visual timers- an egg and egg timer. Both are easy to use and allow for a clear visual for students.

Resources:

“Time-on-Task: A Teaching Strategy That Accelerates Learning.” FEAweb, feaweb.org/time-on-task-a-teaching-strategy-that-accelerates-learning.


“Why Executive Function Is A Vital Stepping-Stone For Kids' Ability to Learn.” KQED, 15 Dec. 2016, www.kqed.org/mindshift/46956.