The typical advice is that time-out should mirror in minutes the age of your students. So, for example, if a student is eight years old, then time-out should be eight minutes long.
It’s also common to hear recommendations for even shorter time periods.
Two or three minutes for primary age students and five minutes for fourth grade and up. But here are SCM, we believe in longer time-outs.
- 12-15 minutes for K-3rd
- 15-20 minutes for 4th-7th
Note: Teachers of eighth grade or higher should be using our high school plan, which doesn’t include time-out.
There are three reasons why we prefer a longer time-out.
1. Time to Reflect.
Your students need time to calm their emotions, breathe a moment, and then begin reflecting on their misbehavior. This takes awhile.
If your rules are clear, you’re consistent, and you follow your plan to a tee rather than adding a lecture, talking-to, and the like, then effective reflection will come naturally.
2. Time to Miss.
What drives reflection and ultimately regret is when the student feels as if they’re missing something. They must want to return to their normal seat.
This underscores the importance of creating a classroom your students enjoy being part of. If this is the case, then more time equals deeper regret and greater desire to improve behavior.
3. Time to Learn.
Although consistency is key, the stronger the accountability the better. The longer a student is able to sit with their mistake (within reason), the more fully they’ll learn from it.
They’ve heard you say that misbehavior is unacceptable because it interferes with the rights of others to learn, but your actions speak louder.
Less Time in Time-Out
If your time-out is too short, then you’re not allowing the three lessons above to make an impact—or much of a difference.
Your students have to feel it.
They must be eager to return to the class they like being part of or time-out won’t be effective. By using longer time-outs, you’ll be able to see this eagerness on their face.
In fact, it should be something you’re looking for before allowing them to return.
In this way, because longer time-outs are more effective in curbing future misbehavior, over the course of a school year your students will end up spending far less time in time out.
PS – Check out this week’s YouTube videos:
1. The 10-Minute Fix for Inconsistent Consequences
2. How to Teach Engaging Lessons
3. Why Students Don’t Follow Your Classroom Rules
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