We all know that there is so much that goes into classroom management, but for this blog, I am going to focus on Virtual Timers.
Time seems to be one of the hardest concept my preschoolers have to face. Let's be honest. How many times a day do they come up to us asking when snack is over, or when are we going to lunch, or when is it recess, or how much longer do they have for free play? A virtual timer can help set a tone of accountability in the classroom and help students self regulate the completion of their work. Here is an example of a simple virtual timer . .
Time Timer
From a teacher's perspective using any timer with the children is simple. It is not over stimulating and it is easy for the 4-5 year olds understand. This app is also free. It is a nice visual that will inform the students when time is up and when we need to move on to the next activity.
From a student's perspective-
Some children do well under pressure, but some do not. Will this app cause children to become anxious in fear that they will not finish on the task they are trying to complete before the time is up? Will it cause them to rush through their work because once that timer is up they can not work on it again? Timers could very well lead to students not performing to the best of their ability and ultimately lead to extreme frustration or even anger. I know this because this type of child is my own.
Welcome to my life of being a mom.
Here is my personal take on timers (used at home or for academic use). Let me start out by saying that being timed as a kid was something that motivated me. I loved it. I could not wait for the minute math tests (or whatever they were called). It was a game for me because I was competitive. I wanted to make sure I finished before the time ran out and I wanted to get the best score out of everyone in my class. Didn't everyone feel that way? I guess not...
Fast forward to having children of my own, which I can now see the frustration it may cause in certain kids like my son. My oldest is like me. He wants to be timed on everything. He uses it as motivation to work harder and learn more. Now my middle son Jake, he is interesting. A personality that would blow your mind, but when he sees a timer like the one above he gets nervous. He tends to focus on how much longer he has left rather than completing the task he has in front of him. He will tell me, before even knowing really how long it will take for him to complete a task, that "it's moving too fast" and he "want's one that goes slower." And this upsets me. It upsets me because I am the complete opposite and I never really took the time to look at the other side of it. I just couldn't understand why he would get so fixated on the time when it should be a motivator or reminder for him complete a task before the time is up. I guess that is exactly what these blogs are made for. Reflection. We need to look at all angles of the teaching techniques. Just because something works for one child doesn't always mean it will work for another.
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