Foundation Course Wait Time

WAIT TIMEConstruction Foundation Course

When periods of silence last at least 3 seconds after asking thoughtful questions, many positive things happen to students' and teachers' behaviors and attitudes.

The concept of "wait-time" as an instructional variable was invented by Mary Budd Rowe (1972)

WAIT TIME IN ACTIONThree Seconds is a Good Measure

To be most effective, this period of silence should follow a clear, well-structured question with the cues students need to constructadequate answers.

Students often follow these periods of silence by volunteering, without teacher prompts, information that is usually sought by the teacher.

Ask a well, structured question

Wait 3 Seconds

12 3

Introduce Wait Time

• Very simply, whenever you ask a question in a group discussion, you:

• STEP 1: State a question – on the first day, we are focusing on the word mission, as it relates to the mission of Job Corps

• Wait at least 3-5 seconds,

• Call on a student by name to respond,

• Provide appropriate affirmation, and

• Call on another student by name for a “second opinion.” 

• See the full discussion of Wait Time in Appendix A. Note that you generally don’t need to use Wait Time when Work Teams have discussed the questions ahead of time. You also usually get higher quality responses if the full class discussion is held after preliminary thinking has been worked out in smaller groups.

Have Students Practice Wait Time

• Step 2: Have students turn the card over and put a cross on the back so the area is divided into 4 quadrants. Ask the students, “What do you remember about an organization or business mission statement?” Use Wait Time. Call on a student. Use his/her answer to clarify the meaning. Call on a second student. Do the same.

• Use the word “mission” several times as you clarify the meaning and talk about the word, describing how it might be used, telling stories about it, etc. Don’t provide a dictionary definition. Then ask students to DESCRIBE the word in the lower left quadrant. A student description should use the information you’ve presented, along with correct prior knowledge; it is not a formal definition. For example, a student may write, “A mission is what businesses or organizations do for their customers or the people they serve. It’s their purpose for existing.”

Links for Wait Time Resources

• "Think-Time" and "Wait-Time" Skillfully in the Classroom.

This document shares the research and benefits of incorporating wait-time into teacher practice.

• Wait Time: Slowing Down May Be A Way of Speeding Up!

This document offers a review of the efficacy of many different questioning techniques

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Content prepared for the National Office of Job Corps through Contract No. DOLJ111A21695 Job Corps Professional Development Support - KUCRL