4 - Elements That Shape Pedagogy for Silence

Summary

The chapter argues that both speech and silence host the formulation of ideas. However, these two modes do not perform this task independently but do so on an inter-related and turn-taking basis. Such movement is important not only in communication but also in teaching as the two gears that support student learning. Some teachers, however, routinely spend too long in one gear and not long enough in the other as they fill class time with excessive verbalisation. The discussion identifies key elements that shape pedagogy for silence. It unpacks the association between silence and speech, recommends a set of principles and strategies for productive silence and offers a procedure for task design to support the reflective learner. The author emphasises that it would be misleading to credit all kinds of classroom interaction solely to the presence of speech. A competent teacher must know that student learning comes from both the process of thinking and the delivery of thoughts. Therefore teachers should pay attention to the aim and timing of their pedagogical decisions to speak and to stay quiet. The teacher s decision to shift between silence and speech is a fundamental skill in pedagogy, which does not happen naturally but needs practice to be effective.