Going Undercover with Wait Time

Wait time can feel awkward, but it makes a difference. Mary Budd Rowe’s research showed that when teachers paused for just a few extra seconds after asking a question, student answers grew longer and richer, with more reasoning and inference (Kent State University, Wikipedia). Other studies confirm that even a 3–5 second pause helps more students join in.

Think-Pair-Share pushes participation even further. A 2021 study found that adding a pairing step before sharing increased hand-raising and overall engagement compared to whole-class questioning (ScienceDirect).

Recently I was in a session with Dr. Carol Lippert, who described Think-Pair-Share as covert and overt. I instantly liked the word covert. “Think covertly” feels more engaging than “think silently” or “think by yourself.”

Students can picture themselves on a secret mission, holding onto their ideas until it is time to reveal them. First comes the covert thinking. Then comes the overt sharing.

Image generated with Gemini, August 2025