"Time out" refers to an intervention in which you remove a misbehaving youngster from a situation or environment that is reinforcing the inappropriate behavior. People show behaviors in situations because some benefits come to them for having done so. Kids wouldn't show misbehavior in your classroom unless it was being rewarded in some way (e.g., prestige, attention, avoidance of work, revenge against a mean teacher, etc.). When we decide to use "time out", we decide to keep the youngster from attaining the reinforcement for the "bad" behavior. Now, instead of getting rewards for misbehaving, the actions receive a removal from the situation that provides the rewards.
There are differing views as to whether time out
interventions should have a punishing effect, 
There are two general types of time out procedures.
In one, we remove the youngster from the learning environment to another
location
(exclusionary or seclusionary
type). In the other, the student remains in the learning
situation (non-seclusionary/non-exclusionary),
but is unable to gain reinforcement for a period of time.
Examples include:
-a set aside time out room staffed by a monitor
-a carrel placed in the back of the classroom away
from the instructional area
-a taped off area in the hallway (across from the
door so that you can monitor the student)
Some time out rooms have the thermostat turned up too high, a number of non-functional lights, wobbly and uncomfortable desks, and maybe a smelly food item placed behind the radiator. This environmental state is designed to make the time out setting a undesirable place to be assigned. This condition promotes the urge to do whatever is required in order to return to the learning environment (and avoid return by behaving well there for the teacher). Time out monitors may also require an essay describing what was done incorrectly and what behavior should have been displayed. An exit conference with the time out monitor might also be required.
The time out room option should not be the last step in your sequential hierarchy of interventions. If it is the last thing on your list, you'll end up battling with the youngster to get him/her to go there and probably end up calling some big beastly guy to drag the kid to the room. To avoid all the histrionics and physical confrontation, use it somewhere in the middle of all your intervention steps. In that way, you can give the student a choice...going to the time out room or accepting the next consequence on your list (e.g., visit to the office, call home, detention, etc.).
Non-Exclusionary/Non-Seclusionary
In this version, the student remains in the instructional setting, but does not receive any reinforcement while remaining there. S/he can continue to learn by observation, but may not be an active participant. We do not allow them to offer answers, receive points or raffle tickets, engage in hands-on activities, or converse with a group of others.
Examples include:
-a "head down" (student folds arms on desk top and
lowers face into arms for a designated
period of time)
-removal of "learner badge" for a period of time
(students are allowed to wear their elaborate
self-made paper plate "badges" (complete with ribbons, glitter, stickers,
etc.) as long as
they are "good learners")
-having to move back a few feet from the rest of
the group which is seated on the rug for
"calendar time"
Some Side Notes
-If you're timing out younger kids, the often read
recommendation is one minute per year of age.
(Gosh...you'd have to time
me out for almost an hour!)
-Consider "helping" the child to do the required
act, and then rewarding him her. Much preferred to timing out kids
in
that it teaches the correct behavior, thus eliminating the need for time
out.
-Time out is not meant to be a "break" or retreat
for the teacher. It should be done in the best interests of the youngster.
Resources
You can find more on the appropriate use of time out procedures at
The
Behavior Home Page www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/bi/TO.html
www.bcc.ctc.edu/childcare/TooManyTimeOuts.doc
http://www.allaboutmoms.com/timeouts.htm
http://www.nncc.org/Guidance/sac13_word.timeout.html
| Fetch Dr. Mac's Home Page |
Updated 5/10/04 Author: Tom McIntyre at www.BehaviorAdvisor.com