Few who have tried using a timer dispute this student job’s effectiveness. For many of us, it has become a crucial job and in my opinion is essential for teachers with classroom management problems. Many teachers have by now adopted a strategy of trying to stay in the TL (both teacher and students) for ten minute periods at a time.
But sometimes the timer can be a problem. They are sloppy and often can’t manage doing the two tasks of listening and timing both at the same time. Some classes need extra discipline.
David Sceggel, in a comment made here about a month ago here, wrote how he uses the timer to bring that discipline. He doesn’t do ten minute sessions, for example.
I have been waiting to post this because I think that the way David uses a timer represents a step up from what we have had up to this point, and I wanted to present it here just before the new semester.
It’s major. Use it in the way David shares below:
I put this up on the smartboard:
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/
I find the toughest kid in the class and train her/him.
At every infraction, if the timer doesn’t restart the timer, I will calmly ask him to restart the timer, while giving a nice look to the offenders.
I will sometimes make it a competition with other sections. Which class was able to get through the ten minutes fastest? Bonus points, extra credit grades, etc. are the reward.
As soon as the timer hears a side conversation or an English blurt, they immediately start the timer over. (This includes me. I tell kids I love to speak in English, but it won’t help them if I speak in English.)
And if they don’t do a good job, they’re fired.
[ed. note: on the topic of firing people, it has to be done lightheartedly. The students – even the student being fired because they know the deal – love it when I build up to a firing with a few threats over a few days and then the right arm goes up and I yell, “Viré!” Then the competition starts for the new open position, with auditions if necessary as described in the Student Jobs – Updated January 2015 category on the right side of this page.]
David continues:
Whenever there is an infraction the timer usually just starts the timer over. It’s up on the smartboard for anyone to see. I remind the timer if they miss an infraction. On the rare homerun days, no one notices the time, the timer, the Spanish, or any of the jobs. They just want to see if the boy goes to the bathroom on Santa’s lap or not.
I sometimes give the lectures in English about how it is through listening that we learn, the more time we hear Spanish the more we learn, respect for the process, etc. – but generally those are no longer necessary because of the power brought to the classroom process with this particular job.
I don’t do 10 minutes. I’ll go until I’m ready to quit or it’s time for a quiz, etc. [ed. note: that’s badass…]
If kids want to pause the timer for a grammar question or a funny story, I will gladly pause it for them.
The timer sits at my desk and controls the timer. For that reason alone, it’s one of the more desired classroom jobs. I tell them that they will determine how well the class learns. If they are a strict timer, everyone will acquire more Spanish.