There is odd consensus that you can only use time-out for elementary-age students.
This is silly.
There is nothing wrong with removing a student who is interfering with the rights of others to learn and enjoy school. No one is too old.
If I were teaching a course on classroom management to a group of adult teachers, and one person kept interrupting me, I would ask them to leave. Yes, of course I would give them an opportunity to stop their behavior first.
But if it continues, they’re out.
No one has carte blanche to do whatever they please because they’re over ten years old. Try doing jumping jacks in front of a movie screen, taking a dip in a hotel koi pond, or jeering golfers on the first tee.
Now, it’s important to point out that the two classroom management plans we recommend here at SCM—one for elementary and lower middle school and one for upper middle and high school—are very different.
The former includes time-out and the latter does not. The reason is that once students reach a certain maturity level, there is a better way.
However, you have every right, as well as the responsibility, to remove a student who is continuing to disrupt. To be clear, the reason is not necessarily to improve their behavior in the future, it’s to stop their interuptions for the benefit of the class.
If you’re a high school teacher, this doesn’t have to be officially part of your plan. But it should be an option.
I tell my high school students that if I have to sit them out to protect learning, I’ll do it because I have no other choice. The class comes first.
They’ll lose credit as part of the high school plan, and may be subject to other consequences, but the removal is simply something that must be done for the learning of others.
Of course, I announce this ahead of time, preferably the first day of school. And I’ll repeat it periodically just in case. In almost ten years of teaching older students, I’ve had rare occasion to use it.
But I have, perhaps three or four times.
I don’t call it time-out. I don’t call it anything. I just say: “Zack, you can’t keep disrupting the class. Sit over there and chill out awhile.”
That’s it. Again, it doesn’t have to be an official part of your plan. Nor does it have to be a big deal. I let them sit until they calm down and show some contrition.
So what if they refuse or disrupt while sitting out? Then you have more pressing classroom management issues that need addressing (and that we can tackle in a future article).
The idea of time-out for older students is to bring peace to your classroom so you can teach and your students can learn. That’s it.
So fear not. You’re not breaking some secret an unspoken decree.
When an older student continues to disrupt despite the regular consequences, you don’t have to take it. You don’t have to endure gross disrespect while your class loses out on their right to learn.
Just sit them out. Let them stew awhile.
It’s called accountability.
PS – If this article prompts questions about rules and consequences, check out one of our plans and/or the archive in the sidebar.
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I teach 7th grade, and my seating chart is my number one line of defense. I have no problem moving a student’s seat if they become a problem because of the people they are sitting near. I also have a progressive plan that involves removing a student from class if they can’t pull things together. It’s called a buddy class. It’s part of our school’s discipline plan and any teacher can use it at any time. The students are also aware of the plan.
A student would be prompted(asked) to choose a different behavior(that’s my warning). If the student continued to be disruptive they would be given a more official consequence that involves a reflective form that needs to be signed by the parent. If they continue after these attempts, then they go to a buddy classroom with work that they can do independently. If they continue to be a problem in the buddy classroom, they end up coming back and I send them to the office with a referral.
In a day and age where discipline, accountability, and consequences have become bad words, the buddy classroom works. It also gives space for a student and teacher to calm down.
Buddy class explanation – If a student needs an alternative setting for the period, they go to a class that I choose. I would choose a class that is in a different grade level, so when they go there, they can’t get attention from their friends. I also choose a classroom where I respect the teacher’s management plan. I would not send a student to a classroom with a beginning teacher or one that has a reputation for not being in control(they are out there).
It may not work for every student, but most of the time, it has proven to be effective for our school.
Excellent advice. I have just asked them to go out into the hall and wait for me. Then continue teaching the class. Sometimes, I have had kids in the class remind me, “… is still out there” as if I had forgotten him or her.
It gives you time to get a hold of yourself too. The class does go back to learning, and those kids do appreciate it.
When I was first year teaching, I had read an article on how important it was to keep a disruptive student in the class, that they are not learning in ISS. It was a very prevalent idea in the early 90’s. At the end of year, in a class reflection, a student wrote, “Why didn’t you throw …. out? We were all sick of him!” I never made that mistake again.
I have students ask to sit in the hall, because other students are in the hall and they can talk with them instead of doing their lesson.
With high school students I do as a matter of fact, just say to them – Mike I think you need a break, take 5 and come back once you’ve sorted yourself up. Most are actually happy when I suggest this. I am just careful to remind them that when they do come back, they have to be practically invisible…
Sometimes they refuse to leave, and ask why. I never explain, I just say I would like to go on with the class, and I am politely asking you to take a break. Do it calmly, respectfully, but don’t budge. If they persist I just stop everything, focus at him and ask again – please leave, you can come back in five.
As a substitute I usually have to call the office and have someone come and remove the student that is being disrespectful. And usually it is several students.
I use the Smart Classroom Management plan with middle school students. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English and Language Arts. Not only does this plan hold the kids accountable, it holds ME accountable. With this plan, it won’t work if I am inconsistent or sarcastic or, preachy. I explain my expectations at the beginning of the year and then we preceded from there. I politely ask disruptive kids to stop/change their behavior. If they engage again in said behavior, I politely and neutrally ask them to take a seat in the hall…if they argue, I calmly ask them not to argue with the ref. (The other kids LOVE this analogy and it works like magic). This concept was discussed at the beginning of year – they must defer to my judgment in my classroom. If they disagree with me, they are welcome to talk to me about it after class, etc. They also know that they must hand over their phone if it’s in their pocket. On the flip side, I work VERY hard to be prepared and teach engaging lessons that my students want to be a part of. I also reflect on my management behavior on a regular basis. I genuinely like my job and students, so that helps too. Michael’s plan was a Godsend for me. I keep working on it and the work keeps getting easier. Many thanks to you for this blog and your work!
It’s my pleasure, Betsy. Congratulations on your great work for your students!
What do you do when the students come into the room arguing over a game they were playing the previous period (either gym or recess)? Last year, my 7th graders normally came right in and got to work on their Do Nows, but if their previous period involved a game, they came in like different people. They completely ignore my attempts to redirect them, and on occasion ended up physically attacking each other. I was feeling like a failure because of this behavior until I realized it only happened after gym or recess. Thankfully this year, the schedule has been flipped most of the time and they go to gym after me. But I am hearing the same complaints from other teachers that now get the students after gym.
I use the Elementary/Lower Middle School Plan with both my 7th and 8th grade classes. I realized that the 8th grade students who struggle with behavior are also immature.
We’re 2 weeks from the end of our semester, and I have only had to send 2-3 8th grade students to “Observation Mode” and roughly 5 (including a couple of “frequent flyers”) 7th graders. One 8th grader has gone on to a parent letter home (and at my school, we’re required to issue a demerit) and only two 7th graders. It really does work, and this year has been a joy in comparison to some years in the past.