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TIMER
Timers in the classroom or at home can save you lots of aggravation with hesitant learners.
Here’s how I like to use them.
15 MINUTES TO WORK & PLAY
This is a terrific homework helper but you have to be diligent to have success. I’ve never tried it with a whole class but it might work.
Most kids hate homework. They’d rather be playing. Who wouldn’t? To combat this you visit with the child and set up an agreement. You tell the child they
MUST
PLAY for 15 minutes then they MUST WORK for 15 minutes. This cycle continues until the homework is complete.
You must be very RIGID about the time. Use a timer.
Here’s what will probably happen. The child plays for 15 minutes. At the end of the time the child
must go to a designated work area and stay there for 15 minutes. (Consider using a standup desk as a work area.
Stand Up Desk ) Many ADD/ADHD kids seem to work better if they stand and work. I don’t know why and have no studies to back this claim up. It just works.
If the student doesn’t actually work,
don’t worry about it -- No reminders
(see Implied Compliance) .
At the end of the time, child plays for 15 minutes. Most kids will want to watch TV or play a computer game for their play time.
DO NOT allow them to exceed the time. No, they can’t wait until the commercial
is over or until they complete the game.
DO NOT WAIVER ON THIS!!!
When the timer beeps, they must return to the work
area.
Eventually, most students realize that they are might as well work for the 15 minutes because they have to stay at the work area anyway. 
Kids might pitch a fit for most of the 15 minute work time claiming it’s not fair, etc. Stick to your agreement. Sometimes kids have to be uncomfortable as they learn new skills. Don’t fight with the child. Agree that it doesn’t seem fair but remind them of their agreement.
Eventually, most kids find they are able to complete all homework within two 15 minute work periods.
NOTE: You must be as rigid about the play time as the work time. Kids might want to continue working past the designated time. Don’t give in. Why? Just trust me. You are trying to instill a desire to complete work quickly and accurately. If you give in, it undermines the effectiveness of the agreement you’ve made. Realize, you might want to make other agreements with this child and you want them to know that “a promise is a promise.”
I’ve heard that some kids kind of hang around the work area obviously wanting to work during the play time. These students are starting to realize that it’s better to do the work first and get it over with and then they can have uninterrupted play time. Having to leave a TV program
or video game before it’s complete irritates them and they will usually figure out it’s best to work first, play later.
After a while, renegotiate and stop the agreement. Restart as necessary.
TIMERS FOR ADULTS
I’ve found it helpful to set timers for myself. For instance, I spend way too much time messing around on the INTERNET. So, I set a timer and get off after an hour (or so).
If I notice a child is not working as rapidly as I know the kid can, I say something like, “I’ll be checking your progress in 10 minutes.”
Then I set the timer!! Otherwise I might get busy and forget.
I also do things like ... set the timer when the class takes a bathroom & drink break. The last person back has to turn it off. If it beeps, we discuss “time management” when taking such a break.
We also take a "brain break". During this time, we all, teacher included, stop working for a while and just visit. It’s a judgment call as to when to use this strategy. If the students all seem rather out of sorts or if they just had a fire drill or there’s some other situation that they all seem to want to talk about, take a
brain break. We sometimes just share about our lives outside of school. Students like to hear about their teacher’s family, college days, hobbies, etc.
However, use the timer to get back to task.
CAUTION ABOUT TIMING ACTIVITIES
I’ve found it to be detrimental to use timers and stop watches when you want children to be
creative. It tends to stifle their creativity and they get so caught up in the time crunch that quality of work can suffer.
DISCLAIMER
This information is for
educational purposes only. Much of the information is from classes and workshops
I’ve taken during my 30+ years of working with ADD & ADHD students –
sprinkled with my own comments, thoughts and insights.
Some information has been
acquired from the INTERNET. Be
aware that not all information on the WWW is accurate.
Use your own judgment.
This information is not
intended to replace information from your doctor, therapist, lawyer,
psychologist, nutritionist or psychiatrist.
Consult your child’s (or your own) doctor for additional input.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Editor: BJ Madewell
Wichita, KS area
316-733-9532
FAX not available
Email ADDchoices@aol.com
or ADDchoices@yahoo.com
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BJ Madewell
