Timing Tests-Oh, yes, I do!

So, when I first started teaching I didn't even consider timing my students' tests. I wanted them to have the maximum amount of time needed to make a good grade. It gradually began dawning on me, however, (yes, I'm slow sometimes) that some of my students were just holding onto their tests even though they were finished because they didn't want to have to do any work. Brilliant, right?

I finally started timing all my tests. The way I do it is simple. I don't just tell them, "You have thirty minutes to take this test." Instead, when most of the class is finished and only a couple of stragglers are left, I'll say something like, "Okay, you have five/ten minutes to finish." At the end of the five or ten minutes, I'll tell them time is up and to pass papers in. 

Now, on occasion, you will have that one student who is just the slowest worker ever. That has certainly happened to me. When the issue becomes apparent,  I always call home and have a conversation with the parent. After all, you can't let one students hold up the whole class for an extended period of time. I have found that most parents of these kids are aware of the situation because it has been happening for years. We simply make arrangements for him/her to come before school, after school, or during a break to finish the test. 

We don't want to be unfair to our students, but we don't want them to play us, either. Try this method in your own class if you're having this problem. I guarantee it'll work wonders.