lab-exam mudras

During the lab exams, the students start out with an initial round of one minute per station. (They can go back later to revisit any they want to see again.) Because I am overly literal, I think that should mean that they are actually looking at the station for a whole minute, and that leads to the need to actually time for a minute-fifteen or a minute-ten. You wouldn't think this would be all that difficult, but after fifteen or so iterations I get confused.

So, to keep track of where the big hand should be when I announce "time," I have invented ways to hold my hands when I'm sitting on the counter to indicate the number I need to watch for. The number of fingers sticking over the edge indicates the number, and the left hand acts as tens place or ones overrun from the primary right hand. I don't think the students have caught on.