Twice this week the idea of managing time has been a discussion that I have been a part of. Both of these discussions have mentioned the idea of what a time frame feels like. For instance, understanding what 5 minutes really feels like and what one can get done in 5 minutes. Of taking a time test and knowing how many math items I can complete (or complete successfully) in the allotted time.
There are two ways to look at this. The first way is to time oneself doing an activity to see how long it takes to complete. The second way is to set the time on a timer and see how far one gets in the project/test/activity by the end of that time. Either way these trials can be very concrete data collections. Meaning both will give you data that you can use. If I time myself doing an activity then I will know for the next time how long it will take and I can budget that amount of time for the activity. The second allows a student to determine if they are pacing themselves well for that section or do they need to find ways to change their pace.
This is what a friend who coaches students on developing their Executive Function skills suggests. She also suggest letting them see time with those visual countdown timers (very available on Amazon) or project one using classroomscreen.com timer.
We all say to ourselves and to others, ‘ok, give me ten to finish this.’ I am suggesting we and our students actually take some time (pun intended) to see how long a project, assignment, chore really takes us. Then use this data to schedule out our class times. Give this information to parents and let them use it to plan out their evenings. Or suggest they have their students time how long an assignment takes.
Maybe this can make things a little less stressed in planning out our days or evenings.
Have your students ever said,’That feels short,’ when lining up from recess? How else can we help students feel time? For a Brain Break, let them clap for 10 seconds, jump for 30 seconds, write their name over and over for 1 minute. Use DEAR time to steadily increase their reading stamina and feel time reading. Record words per minute for young students or let older ones record themselves then graph this over a month or two. Let students count out loud or write numbers for 25 seconds.
For me, I will be working with my SAT cohort of girls to get the SAT testing time to feel manageable and hopefully less stressful.
Let me know how time feels after trying this out. Or tell me how else you have let your students feel time.
Looking to do a Book Study with your faculty this summer? Let’s talk about the option for a virtual book study. Reach out via email me, swladis@edtechease.com. Or connect with me on Twitter/Instagram (@edtechease) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/edtechease/). We can also talk about other ways I can support your teachers.