18 Minute Timer
Eighteen minutes for independent work and small groups.
Activity
Time
Station rotations
4 × 18 minutes, 60s to switch · 18 minutes total
Press Show to class for the board or projector. The disc shrinks and turns yellow, then red. Space starts and pauses. The screen stays awake while the timer runs.
Time's up!
Great work, everyone.
What a 18 minute timer is good for in class
- Independent work with a check-in at the 1 minute warning chime.
- Small-group guided reading rotation in a 1-hour block (3 groups of 18 minutes with 1 minute switches = 56 minutes).
- Research time on devices before a share-out.
Running one of these every day? See the reading timer and station rotation timer for set-up tips.
How the 18 minute timer looks on the board
The disc starts full and shrinks clockwise. Its colour tells the class how much time is left, even from the back of the room:
| Disc | Clock shows | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | From 18:00 down to 9:00 | More than half the time left |
| Yellow | From 9:00 down to 3:36 | Less than half left |
| Red | The last 3 minutes 36 seconds | Final 20 percent |
Sounds
- A soft two-note warning chime at 1:00 left (you can turn it off).
- Three short blips at 0:03, 0:02 and 0:01.
- A rising end chime, “Time's up!” on the board and a burst of confetti (skipped if your device is set to reduce motion).
Running 18 minute stations
With Station rotations on, each station gets 18 minutes and the timer runs every rotation from one Start. Totals with a 1 minute switch between stations:
| Stations | Work | Switching | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 54 min | 2 min | 56:00 |
| 4 | 1 h 12 min | 3 min | 1:15:00 |
| 5 | 1 h 30 min | 4 min | 1:34:00 |
Questions teachers ask
How do I know when students have one minute left?
A soft two-note chime plays at 1:00, and the disc is already red by then (it turns red at 3:36 on an 18 minute timer). Turn the chime off in settings if you prefer silence.
How do I start a 18 minute timer?
This page is already set to 18:00. Press Start or the space bar. To put it on the board, press Show to class: the controls disappear and the timer fills the screen. Tap the screen to pause, press Esc to exit.
When does the 18 minute timer turn yellow and red?
It turns yellow with 9:00 left and red with 3:36 left. You can turn colour changes off so the disc stays green.
What sounds does the 18 minute timer make?
A warning chime at 1:00 left, then 3-2-1 blips and an end chime. Sound only starts after you press a button, and the speaker button mutes everything.