•Teachers probe less for clarification because students make infer-
ences and spontaneously support them with data.
•Students ask more questions.
As this list suggests, using wait time stimulates more complex thinking,
enhances dialogue, and improves decision making.
Rowe (1974) has described three kinds of wait time. “Wait Time I”
is the length of time a teacher pauses after asking a question. “Wait Time
II” is the length of time a teacher waits after a student replies or asks
another question. A minimum three-second pause is recommended.
With higher-level cognitive tasks, five seconds or more of wait time may
be required to achieve positive results. “Wait Time III” is the pausing and
modeling of thoughtfulness that occurs after the student asks the teacher
a question.
Rowe also examined the use of longer pauses in whole-group lecture
settings. Students need time for mental processing in information-dense
subjects like chemistry, physics, and geology. Her research indicates that
retention and understanding increase when students are provided with
2 to 3 minutes for discussion, clarifying notes, and raising questions after
every 8 to 10 minutes of instruction. (All unresolved student questions
should be reserved for the last five minutes of the class period.) Many peo-
ple call this strategy “think-pair-share” (McTighe & Lyman, 2001).
Wait time is an import ant factor in several of the Habits of Mind.
When teachers specifically attend to the Habit of Mind of questioning
and posing problems, they must also attend to wait time. Students need
time to be able to think flexibly or creatively. Using longer pauses in group
discussions provides students with the necessary think time to help them
manage their impulsivity and take responsible risks as they answer ques-
tions posed either by the teacher or by the work they are studying.
Sometimes periods of silence in the classroom seem interminably
long. But if trust is the goal, then students must have the opportunity to do
their own thinking and problem solving. A teacher’s silence after asking a
question communicates the message “I regard you as sufficient. I trust your
processes and knowledge; also, I trust that you know best the time you
need to formulate a response.”
108 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind