Monday, September 8, 2008

Time

I have been thinking a bunch about how much of the classroom is about time. Kids need time to speak, time to listen, time for a break, time to write, time to read, time to explore and mostly me (the teacher) to give them the benefit of time when they are thinking or stuck. They also need time to process and then follow directions. I think I try to be aware of this with my own students because I need time to process too. In thinking about time to process, I began to think about the idea of what Paula Denton calls "knowing when to be silent. " My principal again, put a wonderful article in our boxes by Paula called The Power of Words. Did you know that researchers have found that when teachers wait three to five seconds, more students respond, and those responses show high level thinking? Also, "when we allow students to speak uninterrupted and unhurried, we help them learn because speaking is an important means of consolidating knowledge." Really, it is just about (me) making time to listen.

3 comments:

Karen said...

I've seen you teach -- you're wonderful with all aspects of time. However, I love that you took the "time" to reflect on the article. We can never be reminded too many times about the importance of time!!

Stella said...

Amen! THe gift of time...waiting time, giving time! thank you for putting this strong message out there!

Sarah Amick said...

It's so hard to do in our profession, we have so much to get accomplished. Listening and waiting though is very powerful for our students. Thank you for these words of encouragement.
You ever think about how it makes a kid feel to know that you are waiting for their words to come forth? It must feel very calming also when we are not hurried. That's an environment that one can learn within.