3... 2... 1... Ding, Ding, Ding {Timers}

I love to use timers in my classroom! I've used them for many different things from giving them a set amount of time to unpack in the mornings, to organizing our small group time, even letting the students know how long they had to complete an assigned activity.

This past year I used a timer all throughout the day. It was helpful to keep my students (and me) on track. The group of students that I had was very easily distracted and talkative and it was very easy for an activity that should have taken 10 minutes to wind up taking 15-20 minutes. I found that if I set the timer and gave them a specific amount of time to complete an activity, we were more likely to stick to my planned timeline. I always tried to make sure that the students were able to see the timer (either by using the timer on the Smartboard or putting my handheld timer under the document camera). I liked being able to hold my students accountable for getting their work completed in the time allotted. (Now this didn't work for all of my students, but it did work for a majority of them)

I'm excited to use a timer in my classroom next year because I have ordered a Time Tracker Mini. This is a timer that you can set to give the students a visual alarm and an auditory warning. You are able to set both the countdown on the timer and the warning alarm.

I'm anxious to see how I can incorporate this timer into my classroom. I'll have to post about it later and let you know how it works.

Do you use timers in your classroom? If so, what is your favorite way to use them?