Yesterday, during our department meeting I was discussing with other teachers the importance of using a timing device in the classroom.

A classroom timer (egg timer, stop watch etc.) can be an extremely effective classroom management tool…in fact, I made a post on my forum how this is the single most important tool I use a teacher. You can read about it here: http://teaching-tips-machine.com/forum/index.php?topic=19.0

Basically, I put my students “on-the-clock” for every task.  I tell them exactly how much time they have to complete the task, I then check for understanding, and then set the timer.

What happens when the timer goes off is simply amazing…the students stop what they are doing and listen for the next set of directions…without me having to say a word…it is fantastic.

Every teacher I know that has implemented this simple teaching strategy just loves it…that’s right every teacher…I have yet to meet a teacher who has tried using a timing device in their class and not been thrilled with the results.

You can pick up a cheap timer at radio shack or amazon.com or you can use an online timer and show it on your computer screen or project it using an lcd projector.

I did a quick Google search for “classroom timer” and here are a couple of the online timers I found:

http://www.vickiblackwell.com/timer.html

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/javatimer/javatimer.html

http://ideas.sctboces.org/programs/timer/

Whatever you choose, I strongly recommend that teachers use some type of timing device to effectively manage their class.

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To gain an arsenal of effective teaching strategies that you can start applying to your very next class read eTeach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers @ www.TeachingTeacher.com/ 

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