Wait time
I really think that this is a helpful method when engaging the students in a lecture and looking for feedback from a question. Instead of just forging on, allowing a small pause for someone to respond is not only important, but can yield good results if the students are into it.
I find that if I begin giving wait time at the start of a new class, at first students do not reply- than they relize that I am going to ask & expect participation, they start to resond & come prepared to class w/the possibly of being asked a question.
wait time is effective. Sometimes asking a question another way will help students understand what you are really looking for.
I have found wait time a very good tool to stimulate questions. Several times during a lecture I'll pause for about five seconds while scanning the room with a smile....and then I say "what are you thinking"? It has always resulted in a session of questions.
Hi Ron - Welcome to ED 103! "What are you thinking?" is so much less threatening than "What is your answer?" Great technique to put your students at ease! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like the pause in teaching it lets me reflect a little while the students think about their question
Some students need more time than others to answer a question so it is good to have a pause between reply time.
When I get done with my lecture portion of my class I always make sure to end with the statement "any questions, concerns or otherwise" which helps to leave the floor open for any students who need to say anything. What I find, however, is that excessive wait time or a myriad of wait times tends to breed laziness. When you are able to get students into a participatory state during the teaching process you find that although you may find answers blurted out, it is very satisfying to see that as a whole the class seems to stand a couple of inches taller due to a better overall understanding of the particular subjects addressed during lecture.
Ron---- Thanks for sharing the instrutional technique of stating to the class "What are you Thinking?". I will use it the next time I teach a class.
I like to start class with asking the students what they had learned the day before. It helps to let me know which areas of the lecture I should spend more time on. It took a while for me to wait for the student answers. when i first statred 10 sec seemed like an hour of silence.
HI Dan- Thank you for your post to the forum! Every instructor I have ever spoken to about wait time has said the same thing - happily it gets easier to wait!Best wishes- Susan
