I recently read aloud Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz (an excellent nonfiction picture book) to 1st graders. After the story, we discussed possible writing ideas inspired by this text. One student raised his hand.
I called on him.
He thought.
I waited.
He thought some more.
I waited some more.
Finally, he shared an idea based on the book plus his own experience with pets. I wrote it down on a piece of paper and then showed everyone.
In the past, I would have likely told that student that we could come back to him later. After reading an article about think time, I have changed this practice. Here is one line from the article: “The students never disappoint. They trust that smart things will pop into their minds. And smart things always do—if we give them time to think.” Without reading, watching, and reflecting upon excellent instruction, I would never have grown.