I discovered that some behaviors don’t work well with time out. During those times, I typically had my aide escort and sit with this child. Since it wasn’t a separate room, a teacher or aide had to monitor the child in time out to ensure that they behaved appropriately. The rule for the second offense was 10 minutes in time out the third offense allowed the teacher to define the time frame, but the child was always told how long he or she would be in time out prior to entering. When a child was placed in time out, I set a kitchen timer for five minutes when it rang, the child could return to the class, providing they had behaved appropriately in time out. Students knew that time out for the first offense of the school day lasted for five minutes. When I was teaching students with identified disabilities, each one had individualized target behaviors but, when I taught third grade, the target behaviors were specific to the class. Students were told that when they were sent to the do nothing chair that they had to do just that: nothing except for thinking about the behavior that landed them there. In my classrooms I used a “do nothing” chair it was placed in a corner facing away from the other students. The location of time out is best accessed if it is close to the classroom.

he or she will be placed in time out in a small room, or a corner of a classroom, the hall, etc. The child should be informed that when he or she engages in the target behavior. Once you have defined the behavior or behaviors that will result in a time out, you need to define where time out will take place, for how long and any constrictions that will result. For example, perhaps a child is disrupting your class to the point that no one is learning, speaking loudly, swearing or threatening other children. The most effective way to use time out is utilize this technique to target a specific behavior or behaviors. This technique has been abused and because of that, some schools, school districts and even state departments of education think it should be eliminated. They were told to reflect on why they were there. For instance, when my children were young, they would be placed in in time out in their bedrooms, sitting in a chair without toys, for a defined amount of time. The door should never be locked in fact, time out doesn’t always need to take place in a separate room. If it does, it most likely won’t be effective. Time out should never have the consequence of injuring a child or destroying property. Sadly, I have seen broken windows, holes punched in walls and other items destroyed during what someone was thinking was time out. It was also common to physically remove a child from the classroom and lock him or her in the room. When I first started my teaching career it was common for time out rooms to be built adjacent to the classroom. The rationale behind time out is often under consideration because the concept is not always used as it is designed. While some educators use this technique for punishment, let me be clear that this is not the intent of time out, nor is time out an effective means of punishment. In schools it is not used as a punishment for bad behavior OK, it is not usually used as a punishment. In its purest form, the term “time out” means that a child is being removed or isolated from anyone or anything that might provide reinforcement, reward or the perception of attention.

Yet, when it’s implemented and used correctly, it can be an effective tool for changing behaviors that disrupt the entire education process. The use of time out in schools continues to be controversial due in large part to its misuse. This blog is directed to professionals who are interested in the subject of time out, but many parents may also find it informative.

Time out for kids nyc