Wait time is a concept that every teacher is familiar with. Ask a question, pause, wait for the answer, call on a student whose hand is raised. Every teacher has employed the use of wait time in their classroom on a daily, even hourly basis. This concept needs a little bit of fine tuning for an inclusion classroom though as wait time becomes even more important.
Understanding Wait Time
In a typical classroom a teacher uses wait time to focus on calling on male and female students evenly, giving every student a chance and focusing on correcting improper responses. In an inclusion classroom this focus shifts and more silence is necessary.
Consider the fact that most children who have an IEP have some difficulty processing information appropriately and are allowed extra time on tests. This very fact should have every teacher providing double the wait time for every question asked.
Wait Time in an Inclusion Classroom
In an inclusion classroom, when the teacher asks a question, there is an immediate response from a handful of students. Hands shoot up in the air. Wait. After that first wave of hands, another group of students will shoot their hands up in the air. Wait. Finally, the third portion of the classroom, in general, will raise their hands having finally had enough time to process the question and come up with the answer. Now call on a student.
Making wait time twice as long as usual will benefit every student in your classroom by allowing all students the chance to process the information and answer. The students who raise their hands first do not need to always be called upon, but those students who raise their hands last will never get called on if you do not provide the appropriate amount of wait time for them to process the information.
