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The time that teachers spend making the transition between timetabled activities during the school day is often viewed as minutes wasted. But this so-called “shadow timetable” is more valuable than you may think, according to Sara Baker, senior lecturer in psychology and education in the faculty of education at the University of Cambridge. She tells Tes why.
What is the ‘shadow timetable’?
“When I use the phrase ‘shadow timetable’, what I’m referring to is the downtime that teachers have between timetabled activities. That could be moving from one part of the school to another. However, the shadow and transitions are not just in the corridors. There is also plenty of this shadow time inside the classroom as teachers move from one activity to the next during their planned lessons.”
Is this something you have researched?
“In a study we were conducting, we were looking at what happens during timetabled sessions in Reception classes of 32 local-authority-maintained schools and academies around London and Cambridgeshire. We set out looking at the patterns in teacher-led versus child-led activities and we were tabulating what was happening all day long in the classroom, so that we could look back at averages.
“While we were doing this, we started counting the amount of time teachers were spending in transitions and this ‘shadow’ time - on average - ended up being a quarter of the day, which is a surprising amount.”
That sounds like a lot. Is it wasted time?
“Some people assume it’s bad because they usually think of schools as being very structured, curriculum-driven, teacher-led. But this time is an interesting opportunity for teachers. On the one hand, a lot of the teachers we talk to feel more comfortable being very structured in their classrooms but, on the other hand, they wish they could build more independence in their kids. So, this shadow timetable downtime is where they can work on teaching kids those life skills they really need. In early years foundation stage, it might be learning to put their coat on or making their own decisions. In secondary, it might be self-regulation and organisational skills.
“If you ask teachers what they want kids to learn, those things will be at the top of the list, and yet most of the structured timetable makes it a little bit difficult for them to teach children these things and they have to be really creative to build that into their lessons.”
What advice would you give to teachers so that they can use that time efficiently?
“Teachers already naturally find strategies to make that time work for their children. For younger children, teachers might want to think about introducing things such as buddy systems. For older pupils, some teachers do things like engaging with students in the hallway. So, they stand in the hallway and talk to them and use it as an opportunity to build positive relationships. Teachers do some of these things already, but it’s not talked about much because it’s not part of the national curriculum. It’s about shining a bit of light into the shadows, thinking about it and being mindful of how you are going to use that time for the learners.”
Simon Creasey is a freelance writer
This article originally appeared in the 29 May 2020 issue under the headline “Do we need to tackle the ‘shadow timetable’?”
