Educational Leadership - September 2015

said what I was thinking!”
On the other hand, when failing to
honor the think times, a teacher can
authentically comment, “I’m trying
very hard to pause for the three to five
seconds we’ve talked about, but some-
times I fall back to old habits. I know
it’s difficult for all of us.”
One strategy that can support inten-
tionality is the “think-write” tech-
nique. After posing a question, ask all
students to jot down their responses.

Afford a reasonable amount of time ( 30 seconds or so) for everyone to record something on paper; then, call on one student to respond or ask students to exchange responses with a partner. This “enforced think time” can get students (and teachers) comfortable with new expectations for responding while providing all learners time to think.

Finally, teachers find it productive
to periodically reflect with students
about the class’s progress in honoring
the think times. Teachers might plan a
discussion centered on questions like,
“How do you think we’re progressing
toward our goal of using pauses to
think?” or “How can we support one
another in becoming more skilled in
using these pauses?”

The Long Haul

Effective use of think time doesn’t just happen. It begins with deep commitment and careful planning. Planning questions that are catalysts for thinking is a prerequisite, and good classroom norms—the bedrock of learning cultures—go a long way toward successfully implementing these powerful pauses.

And it’s essential to reflect on what
your students believe about the pur-
poses of questioning—and shift those L A S S E D E S
IGNEN/
SHU
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