I am fascinated by this discussion of think time. This is something that
has been on my mind since reading MOT, lo these many years, and hearing
Ellin Keene ("What would you say if you did know?"). Because I am a
naturally impatient person (one of many vices) who aspires to make every day
full of learning, I used to run right over ideas, simply flattened them.
And I used to think that I was doing the student a favor (saving him from
embarrassment?) by moving on if the response didn't immediately emanate from
the student's mouth. Then I read MOT and began probing a bit. Then, last
year (thanks to Charles), I learned to wait. I'm not cured yet, but people
who come to observe are amazed by how long I wait for a student to respond
(whether or not she has raised her hand); my principal even timed one this
year during a formal observation: 40 seconds. Did you know 40 seconds is a
rather long time? I also used to think that the other students would lose
engagement while waiting for their classmate's response--I was wrong about
that, too. When I model attentive and patient waiting, they follow suit.
Of course, I always make a big deal out of a good response: "Whoa, that sure
was worth waiting for!"
So I love your posts about think time--thanks!
Judy
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