We demand silence in the classroom… but often our own voice is the biggest disruption to learning!
Sep 30, 2025Yesterday, I toured a school with an English-speaking colleague.
A quiet student was quickly overshadowed by her classmate.
Eager to involve her, I asked a question — then rushed to fill the silence.
Others jumped in to "help."
But they weren’t helping. We were taking over.
Later, I tried again.
This time: one clear question — then silence.
She answered slowly, carefully…
And in flawless English.
It was quality.
🧘♂️ Sometimes, doing nothing is the hardest, and bravest, thing you can do as a teacher.
I call it: the art of waiting.
When we hold back just a little longer:
✅ we build confidence
✅ we support independence
✅ we notice if a student is stuck or still searching
Try this tomorrow:
👉 When a student hesitates, silently count to 10
👉 Watch closely: are they blocked, or still thinking?
👉 If needed, give the smallest possible nudge, not the answer
When I manage to do this, like yesterday (because I sometimes can’t control myself), I see something powerful:
Students dare more. They explain better. And yes, they often get better results.
Because learning doesn’t happen when we solve it for them.
It happens when they realise they can do it.
When was the last time you did nothing, and that made all the difference?
