Time On Task
How to Increase Student Learning
in the History Class
Teaching American History
B y Hasan Abdul-Malik
Vice-Principal Solano Middle School
How to Use This Presentation
Time-On-Task: How to increase student learning
The focus of this presentation is to help department heads, history
and social studies teachers teachers improve the quality of content
instruction in the classroom.
1. Discussed are several important factors about student learning
and off task behavior will be reviewed.
2. Teachers will learn what are some of the common
causes of student misbehavior
3. To learn the importance of teacher preparedness
and it’s relation to student behavior
4. Awareness of teacher directed behaviors that
directly influence student off task behaviors
What is Time-On-Task?
Group Work - Independent Work - Reading - Writing
Time-on-task is defined
as the percentage of classroom
time when students are actively
engaged in learning.
When students are actively
engaged in learning they are:
Focused, Listening, Reading
Writing, Discussing, and
Learning
Time-On-Task in the History
and Social Studies Class?
The most content-rich, creative
lesson delivered with the latest
technology will not mean much
for a student staring out the window.
Nor will the latest text, hands-on
materials, collaborative groupings,
or technology have
much effect upon kids
who are goofing off
and socializing.
Teacher Preparedness
Increases Time-On-Task

One of the first steps towards
increasing student time-on-task is
teacher preparedness.

Being prepared sounds very
obvious and simplistic but good
planning will help to avoid many
problems with classroom
management, time-on-task, and
academic achievement.
What Can Teachers Do?
Elements of Teacher Preparedness
1. Have the assignment planned and well thought out.
Anticipate and factor unexpected occurrences or events that
could impact students time-on-task
2. Have all the necessary materials available
3. Post the assignment for
students to see and copy
4. Have the students to begin
working immediately
with an assignment
5. Monitor that the students
have begun the assignment
How To Increase Student
Time On Task

Incorporate Preventive Management teaching strategies
that focuses on a range of skills, including alertness, keeping
up the pace, establishing routines and procedures

It is the teacher that set the
learning climate of the class
during the course of instruction
and the teacher can take students
off task with unnecessary
conversations or by causing
distractions
Teach Students Procedures

A procedure is simply a method or process
for how things are to be done in a classroom

There should be a procedures for almost
everything the students must do in the
classroom



All procedures must be rehearsed until
they become routines
A smooth-running class is based on the
teacher’s ability to teach students procedures.
A well-managed classroom is a task-oriented
and predictable environment.
Procedure
Start
Teach the process
Rehearsal
Rehearsal
Rehearsal
Finish
Established Routine
(Student automatically
know what to do)
Some Common Causes
of Misbehavior

Research finds the common behavior problems in the
classroom that teachers frequently encounter, include:

Acts of inattention such as being off task;
out of seat, or not doing one’s work

Acts of defiance such as
disrespectful behavior
and disobedience

Acts of disruption such as
talking and fidgeting

These categories accounted for
79% of all the misbehaviors
Lost Classroom Time

About 50% of classroom time is lost due to student
misbehavior and being off task.

80% of lost time is due to talking without permission.

19% is lost to
daydreaming,
out of seat,
making noises, etc.

1% is lost to more
serious misbehavior.

Teacher effectiveness
is important towards
preventing lost
instructional tie.
What is wrong with this picture?
Formula for Success
`
Time On Task  Actual Learning Time = % f time students
# of instructional  *275 minutes
= engaged in actual
minutes per day
learning
*5 periods of instructional time (55 minute per period)
Final Thoughts

Think through how well you
are prepared as a teacher

In team meetings collaboratively
set goals, objectives and discuss ways
to improve student and teacher time-on task

Teach students procedures that will
become routines and help facilitate
academic achievement.

Have a positive and optimistic attitude
and it will become a reality
Time-On-Task
Students are Focused on Learning
Completing Work Assignments
Think through how well you
are prepared as a teacher
Expected Student Behavior
5 Types of Student Misbehavior
Aggression:
physical and verbal attacks by students
on the teacher or other students.
Immorality:
acts such as cheating, lying and stealing.
Defiance
of authority:
refusal, sometimes hostile to do as the
teacher request.
Goofing off:
fooling around, not doing assigned task,
dropping a book and day-dreaming.
Class
disruptions:
talking loudly, calling out, getting out seat
and walking around, clowning,
tossing objects and the like.