ABSTRACT
In many classrooms, much of the time, hands go up after a question and the teacher calls on a student as quickly as possible. The educational and behavioral effects of this standard recitation model practice are negative indeed. By structuring a three-second, hands-down interval for thinking, the teacher can expect more hands to be raised, higher-level and more accurate answers, more students listening to each other, and more focused behavior. This three-second or more rehearsal time for students gives the teacher time to improve the clarity of the question, plan next steps, think about the answers given before, and scan the classroom. Thoroughly supported in research and known as Wait Time 1, this thinking interval is the cornerstone of an inclusive and engaged classroom.
