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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Last week, I wrote about how to fix time-out if it isn’t working. And I got some peculiar responses. “What if my students like time-out?” “What if they want to stay in time-out?” “What if they prefer the quiet of time-out?” “What if they’re … Read more
Understanding time-out, its purpose and function, is key to its effectiveness. Yet, as I visit classrooms, many teachers get it wrong. It’s not a dunce-cap punishment or place for students to feel shame, which only causes resentment and more misbehavior. Rather, time-out must be … Read more
You don’t have to call it time-out. You can call it the reflection zone, the accountability desk, or anything you like. The name is unimportant. But what is important, critically, is that it must be taught. It must be explained in detail, modeled explicitly, … Read more
A culture of leniency has infected our schools from top to bottom, and it’s hurting everyone in its wake. Cheating and disrespect are rampant. Students repeatedly caught fighting are never expelled. Standards are so low it’s nearly impossible to fail. There is virtually zero … Read more
A number of schools and districts are outlawing time-out. The thinking is that it’s too punitive. That it’s associated with sitting in a corner and wearing a dunce cap. Setting aside for now that the way we teach it here at SCM is wholly … Read more
You can call it time-out, time away, observation mode or anything you like, but the way you send a student there matters. Far more than most teachers realize. It can be the difference between an easy and effective process and a stress-filled waste of … Read more