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Manage Your Class With the Best Visual Timer Available!

A timer can be one of the best investments an art teacher can make in his or her classroom. Timers can help students and teachers make the best use of class time. Timers also help make transitions anticipated and smooth.

Not only are timers important for students, but they are also important for teachers.

There have been multiple instances where my students are so focused on creating their art projects, that we all lose track of time. Unfortunately, when this happens, my students’ concentration is broken by the sound of the bell dismissing them to their next class. I frantically shout, “Quickly clean up! I’m sorry I forgot to set the timer!” Sound familiar?

If you have extra money in your budget, you should spend it on a Time Timer.

No, they’re not paying me to write about their amazing product, I just love it that much.

A Time Timer isn’t any ordinary timer. It is a visual timer that allows the passage of time to be visible by a red disk that gets smaller as time decreases.

Check out this youtube video to see exactly how a Time Timer works.

I first purchased a Time Timer when I was teaching elementary art. The Time Timer comes in a variety of sizes. I prefer the 12-inch clock, so it is visible in my classroom. The timer can be hung on the wall or held up on a counter by the collapsible plastic legs on the back of the timer.

The Time Timer App is also available for Apple and Android devices.

The apps are well worth every penny, and you can customize the settings to fit your needs.

Time Timer software is also available. How great would it be to have a Time Timer for your interactive whiteboard or computer screen?

People of all ages can benefit from using the Time Timer. I rely on the timer as much, if not more, than my students. Check out my son helping me use the Time Timer. He loves listening to the beep. Unfortunately for him, the beep means bedtime.

One word of caution: the red plastic disk is fairly delicate and not suitable for a toddler or young child to use on a regular basis. However, with proper training, younger students can easily set the timer in your classroom, just in case you forget to set it yourself.

Here are 5 reasons that every art room needs a Time Timer.

1. We live in a digital world where children and adults are used to reading time on a digital device such as a cell phone.

Because of this and other reasons, some students struggle with reading analog clocks. The Time Timer allows students (and teachers) to visually see the amount of time left in a class period.

2. The Time Timer beeps when the time is up.

The beep is somewhat soft in comparison to a noisy art room. However, it’s almost guaranteed that at least one student will hear the timer and alert their classmates or the teacher that the timer has gone off. Note that you can also turn the beep off if you wish.

3. The Time Timer is an excellent resource to help students learn time management.

If one student takes longer to clean up than other students, they learn when to clean up based on how much red is left on the Time Timer.

4. The Time Timer is relatively inexpensive.

My first timer was purchased five years ago, and it is still ticking.

5. The Time Timer is available in a variety of versions.

You can purchase a Timer Timer for all your timing needs. What will they come up with next? I know I can’t wait to see it.


To say “purchasing the Time Timer was a good investment,” is an understatement. Purchasing the Time Timer was a FABULOUS investment.

How do you manage time in your art room?

Have you ever used a timer, visual or otherwise?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassidy Reinken

Cassidy Reinken, an art educator, is a former AOEU Writer. She enjoys helping students solve problems and reach their potential.

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