Pause while Teaching

From social cues, we know when a question is rhetorical.

Instructors often ask questions in a rhetorical tone, pause for 1 second, answer the question themselves, and then complain to colleagues that students aren't engaged in class and aren't even answering simple questions.

We often think we are pausing an appropriate length of time. But we're not.

In my classes, I find if you really pause, they will answer. At first, I had to force myself. It was painful. Since they were used to me answering the question for them, they didn't answer and I had to pause a long time. Once the game of chicken had been won by me (I'm more stubborn than they are), they routinely started offering answers during my question pauses.

I've learned that pausing throughout the lecture, not just after a question, can actually be a way to punctuate an important concept. Sometimes I even say, "I'm going to pause so you can let that sink in". In those pauses, you should see all of the extra notes, stars, or exclamation points that get added to the concept.

After a pause, I seem to get more student questions. And after one question, I get more.

If you pause, they will ask.