THE BENEFITS OF SILENCE

After 60 seconds I have exceeded the maximum limit of waiting time for an answer.  There is a feeling of slight awkwardness amongst some of the students, almost like that tense moment when the stranger walks into the saloon and everyone stops what they're doing to stare at him.  Yet I love the silence!  For me it's the perfect tool for thinking and being funnelled into a process of thinking.  Even when students aren't very engaged with the lesson content, this sudden gap in the conversation can force them into a micro thought.  Silence can be Golden in these moments.  I find that it works best when the build-up to the question prepares the class for some deep contemplation.  Therefore the quality of the question is quite important.  Don't be put off by the silence, but make sure that it's not due to any confusion caused by a complex remark on you part.  Students have to be given something to think about which allows them to quickly process what is being asked.

Sometimes the silence can be taken to another level.  As part of a Greek Philosophy lesson I encouraged all the students to do what Socrates would do . . . Sit and think . . . In silence.  They had to choose something that was important to them.  About 70 percent of them explained that they thought about cars or computer games (no surprises there).  However, 2 or 3 spoke about higher order concepts such as the existence of God or their place in the Universe.  This then led to the most fascinating discussion on Gods and eternity.  This lesson was certainly successful, which can be mainly attributed to the benefits of silence.