Time-out
From WikEd
[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
Description
- Time-out consists of immediately isolating a child in a boring place for a few minutes whenever she or he misbehaves. This isolation place can be a "time-out chair" or "time-out room".
- A time-out removes a student who is misbehaving to deny him reinforcement for a fixed period of time, ranging from one to six minutes (Wolfgang 273).
Synonyms
Time-out is also called:
- quiet time
- thinking time
- cooling-off time
- taking a breather
Types of Time-outs
- Nonseclusionary time-outs are used in response to minor disturbances and the student is not removed from the classroom. Typically, materials that are being inappropriately used by the student are taken away or the student is required to put his or her head down (Wolfgang 41).
- Contingent observation time-outs remove a student to the edge of the activity so that he or she can observe the other students being reinforced (Wolfgang 41). This type of time out is most effective when a student has been misbehaving for a specific amount of time. When the student expresses that he or she understands the rule and will obey it, the student can return to the activity (Wolfgang 42).
- Exclusionary time-outs remove a student from an activity and restrict his or her view of the classroom but does not remove the student from the classroom (Wolfgang 42).
- Seclusionary time-outs completely remove a student from the classroom and minimize the interaction between the student and teacher (Wolfgang 42).
[edit] Application in Classrooms and Simular Settings
Although it may be more common for parents to use the time-out technique to discipline a child, it is also a popular technique in schools. In the classroom, time-outs can be used to allow a student to calm down and regain focus. During a time-out, the teacher can encourage the student to think about the inappropriate behavior and how the student will change his or her actions. It is also beneficial for the teacher because he or she is able to step back from the situation and calm down. During the student's time-out, the teacher is able to develop a plan for the student to keep the inappropriate behavior from reoccuring.
[edit] Guidelines for a time-out program
Charney makes the following recommendations for using time-outs in her book Teaching Children to Care - Management in a Responsive Classroom (1998, p. 94-95).
- Have a procedure for time-outs.
- Use time-outs for small disturbances.
- Time-outs should reinforce the school rules.
- Time-out is not negotiable.
- Time-outs recognize that the child chooses to follow the rules or not follow and that once they have regained control a child will follow the rules.
- Time-outs are democratic.
- Time-outs may be carried out in another classroom if the student is unable to regain control in the classroom or the teacher needs a time-out from the student.
- Time-outs do not work if a child is already out of control or is engaged in a power struggle with the teacher.
[edit] Evidence of Effectiveness
"Time-out is frequently used to correct younger children, but because it is often enforced improperly, it loses its effectiveness." (Burton Banks, M.D.)
"Time-out must involve removing the child from the problem situation. The child should be sent to a corner or instructed to sit in a room with no toys or television. The environment should be neutral, boring, nonfrightening, and safe." (Burton Banks, M.D.)
Time out had little or no effectiveness for infants and adolescents, but is effective and recommended for toddlers and school age children. "Time-out works well for children from 18 months up to five or six years of age, and it is particularly useful for the correction of temper tantrums, whining, yelling, fighting, and aggression.5 Effective time-out requires that the child be ignored, and the session should end only when the child has been calm and quiet for at least 15 seconds.3,12 Time-out should last for a specified time, usually one minute per year of life (to a maximum of five minutes) without interaction." (Burton Banks, M.D.)
[edit] Critics and Their Rationale
Critics to the time-out technique argue that it is ineffective and doesn't make enough impact on the child when done alone. Suggestions from these critics include a spanking followed by a time-out.
Other parties state that the time-out should not be the first choice in disciplining a child, but as a last resort for a child who is harming another child or in danger of harming himself/herself. These critics believe that if time-out is used too often or inappropriately, the techique will become ineffective and suggest that it may be dangerous to the child; instead, the time-out technique should be used infrequently and only for a very brief period of time.
[edit] Alternative Explanations due to Diversity Considerations
[edit] Signed Life Experiences and Testimonies and Stories
I have mixed feelings about time out. Yes I do feel that children need to have consequences for inappropriate behavior, yet I see time out as a last resort. In the classroom with young children I tell the children that they can go and sit in the cooling off chair. I always talk to the children about choices in the classroom which follows through with their behavior as well as how they treat their peers. Camille Unzicker
I have a very negative connotation of "Time Outs" and I know it is from hearing it yelled by Mothers in Grocery Stores over and over and everytime their child does some small action. It seems to be used in a knee-jerk fashion and over-reactive way. I think it is completely worn out, overused, and in most cases innappropriately used. The term has become so redundant in the home, neighbor's home, on TV, that students in first grade already have a negative connotation of "Time-Out." A better concept in school would be to discuss and create the rules, and establish that rules broken means one cannot participate in the class. A "Cool Down" period sounds better; or why call it anything at all? Why not just say, "Johnny, I want you to sit out in the hall". C.O"Kelley
I used to think that I didn't agree with time-outs for children. I always thought I would use more of the logical consequence type of punishment (i.e. If you write on a bathroom wall, you spend the time to clean it). However, sometimes a logical consequence is not as clear cut. If a student calls another kid a name, do you let all the kids name call the student in trouble? Sometimes a time-out is an easier and more effective punishment. Also, when working with young students, it is important to have consistancy with punishments and time-outs give you that moreso than logical consequence. -Annie Craig, 2nd Grade Teacher
Routinely, I don't agree with time-out. But I can see that it may be the only alternative that is left in the education system that doesn't allow corporal punishment. There was much less discipline problems when they could be handled with a paddle. Those days are past and we must move forward. -M. Youngblood
I was glad to read that some critics feel that this procedure should not be used to a great extent. Also, that it should be for a short period of time. I am finding that some children just need to calm down for a short period of time in the classroom because they become overly stimulated the seer numbers of other students and their activities. If I get time, I like to process what they will do to change their behavior before resuming their activities again to ensure that the problem does not reoccur. B. Orenic
When I was a child, my mother used time-outs as a consequence when we misbehaved. I found them to be very effective. Say, for instance, that we were getting very hyper and broke something; mom would use the time-out as a chance to let us calm down AND to think about what we had done. She was always very good about explaining why we were going to our time out. I found the time-outs to be a very useful tool of keeping order in our house, as long as the child can understand why they’re in a time-out. Matt Munley
A time out doesn't necessarily need to be in another room. My kindergarten teacher used a green chair for time out. It was deemed that you had to do something really bad, or be really disruptive to be sent to the "green chair." Because of the connotation of the time out chair students generally behaved to avoid being sent to the chair. Although this method may be more embarrassing and not allowed in classrooms anymore, but I thought it was effective. MJB
Within my own classroom, consequences for inappropriate actions usually come in four stages: 1. Verbal warning – asked to stop; sometimes eye contact works or a slight touch to the shoulder or head without having to point out the misbehavior to the entire group. 2. If continues, "5 minutes" is given (five minute time-out taken at playtime; I use part of that time to discuss with the child what happened and let them verbalize an appropriate action). 3. If behavior persists or becomes harmful to others, child will be asked to sit away from the group. 4. As a last resort, child will be removed from the room with possible intervention from the principal.
Many theorists are against "time-outs", but they are part of my discipline policy and have worked well for me. My time out most resembles Fredric Jones’ idea of time out as described in his Positive Discipline Model. It is used as a temporary removal from an activity as a consequence of an inappropriate behavior. A most important step in my use of the time out is the discussion that happens after the child is sat out and before he is allowed to return to the group. The child must verbalize what has happened and an understanding must occur. Connie Early
As a parent I have used time-outs and depending on the child they can work. The problem is they are not effective for all children and some children would rather have a time-out than another activity or work. A child may use a time-out for negative reinforcement to avoid an activity he/she does not want to do. Teresa Hibler
I use time-out as one of the ways to discipline my own daughters. I use the several different types that were discussed on this page. I have found that one way works for one of my daughters and another way works for the other daughter. I sometimes have to take a time-out for myself to remove myself from a sitution. Sometimes I talk with my daughters to help them realize that they may need to learn when to remove themselves from a situation that my get them into more trouble. Nichole Jessup
In my classroom, I make as much of an effort as possible to minimize taking a student away from the learning environment. There are times when a student is having 'a day' and just cannot get their behavior in check. I feel that it is necessary to remove the student, not just as a punishment, but more for the benefit of the other students that are having their opportunity to learn impaired by the actions of the misbehaving student. While there are some students that would think it is just fine to be in the hall rather than in the classroom, there are others who show definate remorse from their "time-out". It is a wonderful thing when you see that students can show remorse for their inappropriate actions. Chris Snodgrass
Time-outs are used everywhere in the preschool and kindergarten classroom since most teachers think gounding students can help them calm down. Teachers use different name to call time-out such as thinking chair time. As a preschool teacher, I think time-out is not very effective in terms of having students to think about their own behaviors. However, it is effective if the students just need some personal space to calm down.
I have always been very skeptical of time-outs. I was never made have a time out while I was being reared, and I think I turned out just fine. I also have been skeptical about where the child is supposed to pass their time out time. Make sure that it's not a place that the child will learn to hate due to associating that place with punishment. For example, dont have time outs happen in the child's bedroom...they may begin to associate bedtime with bad behavior.
I would recommend letting students choose to go to TIme Out if they want and I would recommend calling Time Outs by another name. The phrase "Time Out" has so many negative conotations that it is almost useless now. Having a space in the classroom for students to sit apart from their peers can be valuable for far more than punishment. For example, when a student is writing and the person sitting next to him is talking, the hardworking student has the opportunity to move away rather than having a conflict.
I think time outs are great for very young children, but as they get older, the punishment should be more constructive. For example, a first grader could be asked to think about what he/she did wrong and write about it during the time-out. Beyond a certain age, sitting in a corner for 5 minutes is just silly. -JD
Last year I had a student who (eventually) recognized when his behavior was going to get out of hand. He requested time-outs to get himself under control. In this manner, time-outs were very valuable to both of us. On other occasions, I did request he leave the room as I could not teach the other 23 students while he was misbehaving. I felt terrible that he was missing academic time in my room, but I would have let down my other students if he had remained. Is there a happier medium? -C.C.
There is an argument stating that time-out is not an effective tool in secondary levels. I would highly disagree. I use it as management tool for the students that are on the lower or middle end of the disruption scale. I do not use time outs with students who cannot handle a conversation in the hallway and who will have a hard time seeing time out as a second chance rather than a personal teacher vendetta. I do want to note that the frequency of using time-outs greatly diminishes as the school year progresses. I guess this an effective use of the ripple effect. Just to note, I don’t use a colorful red or green chair. It’s just simply an old, run-down, wooden chair that the students prefer not to sit in. H. Ro
I worked day camp for five years before I started teaching. Through this experience, I handed out many time-outs. I found, however, that they didn't have to be in a special place, but that they were more effective if they took place immediately. I would sit the child down next to me, and as soon as they were sitting in an appropriate manner, I would start the timer. It was a very effective tool for day camp, although I don't use it in my classroom. -NMF
Having cared for children for most of my teenage and adult life, I have had a lot of experience with time outs. The last family I baby sat for was particularly challenging. I found that the two year old was very non-compliant when placed in time-out. I had to keep sitting him down in the time-out chair over and over, up to fifteen times! I knew that I had to stick with it or it would never work, so I did. As I kept my ground, the struggle got less and less, and so did the bad behavior that started it all! S. Peduzzi
I don't think time out would work for every child. I used to apply this method dealing with challenging behavior of my students. However, I experienced that sometimes "time out" became a positive reinforcement for some of them. This experience urge me to be careful in using this method in next time. WV
When a student is having a "time-out" aren't they missing other important academics? I know that in my classroom every minute of the day is critical to their learning. If I had students sitting in time-out they would be missing something valuable. When is an appropriate time for "time-out"? ~R.U.
Hello, I have always felt that the "time-out" was just as much an opportunity for the teacher, counselor, or parent to get a break for themselves :) Just kidding...but seriously, when time outs are overused and not turned into a constructive activity then their effectiveness goes away. We always made a point to work with our kids after time-outs and help them understand why they were put on notice and we explored what they were going to do to try and resolve the situation...they weren't allowed to parrot the "expected response". If time-outs become too routine, then they'll take advantage. They need to be used when they make sense for the behavior. -- D. Melone
[edit] References and Other Links of Interest
J. BURTON BANKS, M.D., James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee Childhood Discipline: Challenges for Clinicians and Parents
The Time-Out Technique for Discipline
Wolfgang, C.H., Solving Discipline And Classroom Management Problems: Methods and Models for Today’s Teachers; U.S.A, John Wiley and Sons, 2001.
Charney, R. (1998) Teaching Children to Care - Management in the Responsive Classroom. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children
