Harnessing Classroomscreen for effective time management: Insights from Ryan's classroom

Over the past four years, Ryan's approach has not only enhanced his teaching experience but also inspired many educators to adopt similar methods. Here's how Ryan uses Classroomscreen to create a focused and well-managed learning environment. He uses two Timer widgets and one Stopwatch widget, each with a different purpose.

Two Timers and a Stopwatch

Neutral Timer: Ryan uses the top timer in a neutral color to time specific activities. This timer helps students understand the duration of a task without any emotional weight.

Green Timer: For the second timer, Ryan changes the color to green, which acts as a visual motivator for the students to stay focused and meet classroom expectations.

Red Stopwatch: The stopwatch is set to red and is used passively to track time that needs to be paid back during the next break. It works as a subtle reminder that doesn't disrupt the flow of the class.

Ryan creates a new screen for each day and sets up his widgets accordingly, pinning them to all screens to streamline the process. 

Using the green Timer

With the class, I establish clear expectations and explain how the green timer works. Every time they meet those expectations, I add time to the green timer.

Here’s how it works

When students enter the room quietly and start their activities immediately, Ryan adds 30 seconds to the green reward timer. This helps to reinforce positive behavior right from the start. 

When transitioning between activities or locations, he sets the neutral timer for 30 seconds. If students move quickly to their new task or location by the time the timer rings, he adds 30 seconds to the green timer.

Ryan adds to the green timer throughout the lesson for the following reasons:

• If the class works without disruption for an extended period, he quietly adds 30 seconds to the green timer. 
• For insightful answers or questions, he adds 10 seconds to the green timer. This encourages active engagement and critical thinking. 
• Ryan adds 60 seconds to the green timer for orderly behavior during transitions to and during assemblies. This is a great and handy way to acknowledge their efforts outside the classroom.

By Friday, the green timer usually accumulates between 13-17 minutes, which becomes the student's free or game time. This is usually used on Friday afternoons for Ryan’s class.

After the reward timer ends, students have 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the neutral timer to pack up. If they do so quickly, Ryan adds 3 minutes to the green timer for the next week as it helps regain focus after the excitement of the reward timer. 

Using the red Timer

The red timer is used passively and Ryan never mentions it to the students. It accumulates time that the class needs to pay back during the next break. 

Ryan adds to the red timer throughout the lesson for the following reasons:

• If transitions take longer than the neutral timer allows, the red timer is switched on for the remaining time. It acts as a subtle nudge to stay on task.
• He activates the red timer when several students are off-task and pauses it when they settle down. It's a gentle reminder that doesn't disrupt the lesson. 
• If students are still cleaning up after the neutral timer finishes, he uses the red timer to track the delay. This way, they understand that their actions have consequences. 

The key is to let the timers do the work for you. There's no need to raise your voice or constantly remind students. The timers are your silent levers for managing the classroom.

Ryan’s approach demonstrates how simple tools like digital timers can transform classroom management by creating a structured and motivating environment. His method not only encourages positive behavior but also streamlines the flow of daily activities, making learning more engaging and effective.

I have been teaching for 10 years and currently teach Year 6 students in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) in Australia.

Ryan Wilkinson

Year 6 teacher