A typical time-out consists of 5 to 10 minutes of sitting at a desk separated from classmates. But for many students, this isn’t a strong enough consequence.
For time-out to be most effective, your students need to feel the full weight of accountability. They need to feel excluded from the class they like being part of.
In other words, time-out needs to be about as much fun as dropping a dumbbell on your toes.
Follow the steps below to give time-out the strength it needs to dissuade even the most difficult students from misbehaving.
1. Teach it.
Your students must know exactly how to go to time-out, what they’re required to do once they’re there, and what they must do to rejoin their classmates. These should be taught and modeled thoroughly during the first few days of school.
2. Make it public.
When a student breaks a rule that calls for time-out—according to your classroom management plan—stop what you’re doing and pause before sending the student to time-out. It’s important that the rest of your students see you following through and enforcing rules.
3. Tell them why.
Every student you send to time-out should understand why. Briefly tell them what rule they broke and exactly why they’re going to time-out. This awareness is the first step to taking responsibility for their behavior.
4. Hide your displeasure.
Let time-out be your consequence. Don’t add to it by lecturing, scolding, or showing displeasure. These methods weaken time-out by lifting the weight of accountability off of your students’ shoulders and replacing it with dislike and resentment toward you.
5. Be matter-of-fact.
Enforce your rules as if you don’t have a care in the world. Student breaks rule, teacher enforces consequence. Make it as simple as that. This helps ensure that the responsibility for being in time-out lies with the student, and no one else.
6. Ignore them.
A student in time-out is responsible to listen and do the same work as everyone else, but is not allowed to participate. Therefore, you and the rest of your students should ignore them. This cements the realization that misbehavior results in being excluded from the class.
Note: This does not mean ignoring the need for legitimate academic help.
7. Let them reflect.
Most teachers remove students from time-out too soon. For most students, five or ten minutes won’t have the desired effect. How long they remain in time-out is up to them (see below), but 20 to 30 minutes or more is not out of the question.
8. They decide when they’re ready.
When a student decides they’ve learned their lesson, they must raise their hand and tell you they’re ready to rejoin their classmates. (You’ll teach them how to do this during those first few days of school.) It’s a good idea to wait 20 minutes before even looking in the student’s direction.
9. Let Them Do The Talking.
When a student says they’re ready to leave time-out, let them do the talking. If you’re satisfied with their level of contrition, smile and invite them back. If not, tell them so. Tell them you don’t think they’re ready and then walk away.
10. Don’t hold a grudge.
After completing time-out, allow the student to return to being a regular member of your classroom—in good standing. Don’t hold a grudge. Don’t treat them any differently. Give them an opportunity to make a fresh start. Trust that they’ve learned their lesson and won’t repeat their mistake.
11. Make it a physical and emotional separation.
Finally, and most important, time-out is at its most effective when students feel like they’re missing something. If you have enough leverage, your students will always feel this way. But there is nothing wrong with reminding them how lucky they are to be in your class.
So when you send a student to time-out, and it’s convenient for you, break out a learning game, laugh a little more, tell some stories. For time-out to be a strong consequence, it must be an emotional, as well as physical, separation.
Note: I wrote an article this week for a website called LearnBoost. They offer teachers an online gradebook for managing and creating lesson plans, tracking attendance, maintaining schedules, and more. The article is called The Real Secret To Effective Teaching. I hope you’ll check it out.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for the great ideas! I will be using these ideas in my classroom this year. They make sense, and I know that they will help me in my work with the students this year.
In the beginning of the year, how do you manage several kids going to timeout at about the same time. This is likely as my kids need retraining…they’re very chatty.
Hi Nancy,
You have to do exactly what you say you would do. So if you need to scatter students in various areas about the room, then you have to do it that way. I don’t recommend staggering time-outs. When a student breaks a rule that triggers time-out, then you have to send him or her right away. Stick it out, though, do what you have to do, and soon sending anyone will be a rare occurrence.
Michael
I just stumbled onto your website and love it! How do you handle time-outs with students who have ADHD? I have three students with very poor impulse control in my class.
Hi Shirelle,
If they’re in your class, they should follow rules and accept the consequences for misbehavior just like everyone else. All students do better in such a clear and fair environment. No one benefits from a lowering of behavior standards.
Michael
Hi Michael,
I just wanted to clarify that these students have IEP’s, and I am expected to make accommodations for them. Do you make any exceptions for special ed inclusion students with behavior problems?
Thanks!
Hi Shirelle,
Only if their IEP’s have specific behavior-related goals that would clearly warrant an exception. Otherwise, no. Very few students benefit from a lowering of behavior standards.
Michael
Michael, your website was a godsend! I am a fourth year teacher who doesn’t like to do a lot of complicated things with classroom management. I like to keep things simple. But I was wondering how to keep students quiet. I already had rules and consequences in place, but I was not enforcing them! So today, I started over. I let them know my expectations. I modeled. And I reinforced. It took all morning, but by the afternoon they were calm, and they were ready to follow through. As long as I follow through with this, I am sure I will have a stress-free year and enjoy teaching! Thanks again!
Awesome Brandy! I know you’ll have a great year!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Nice site with great, clear-cut information. What are your feelings about time-outs with older (9th grade) students? Are they effective, or do the students see it as a “weak” consequence? The issue I’m having is that the consequences suggested by our school (a warning, then a call home, then an office referral) aren’t *immediate* – a call home doesn’t happen til the end of the day and often it takes several days to get hold of someone, so the offender feels (and rightly so) that s/he has gotten off the hook.
A
Hi Ashley,
I absolutely would separate ninth graders from the class as a consequence. If a student is interfering with learning, then you shouldn’t allow him/her to be part of the class. Just don’t call it time-out. Simply say, “If you disrupt this class, then I can’t allow you to be a part of it. Sit them away from the rest of the students, if by only a few feet. Although they must listen and do their work, don’t let them participate in discussions or group activities. If they think it’s a time-out, and they think they’re too old for it, so be it.
Remember, though, the older students are, or the tougher the students are, the more important it is you make your classroom remarkable.
Michael
Hello Michael,
Your site is my new go-to for classroom management! I use your letter home template for my art room and it has been working great (even other cluster teachers have been using it as well!). I too have been separating students for time outs (often 7-10 min. or more if necessary). Today I had to send a young boy to time out for 20-25 min. while the other students were enjoying an art activity. My question is, if he should need another 20 minute time out should he being doing some type of classwork while his class participates in the art lesson?
- Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Art is a privilege, so no, although he is required to listen and follow along mentally, he should not be given an opportunity to work on his project.
Michael
Hi,
I am really enjoying your site.
I begin teaching in a 4-5 year old classroom soon, and need some help.
I was able to sit and observe this room and noticed right away a couple of children who are in trouble all throughout the day. We are only allowed to send our children to their mats for very brief cooling off periods due to their ages. Most of the preschoolers go their mats (time out) well and rejoin the group whole-heartedly. But I saw two that became physically aggressive with the teacher, running from her, hiding under tables, kicking her, etc. She had to pick them up and carry them to time out and one would kick, scream, and crawl back off the mat repeatedly. I know I’ll be in this room and am concerned also that our director will not enforce a stricter structure due to trying to keep paying parents happy. With my being in a daycare with younger children, implementing your techniques may not work, and I do not want to lose control of this class. I want to have a safe and fun year where the children learn and enjoy their first academic experiences. But I fear with this kind of behavior, it may be trouble from day one without some help. Thank you!
Hi Lynn,
I’m not sure what you’re asking. Could you please email me with your specific questions? I’m happy to help!