A mistake often made by teachers is not
giving enough wait time after they ask a question. You will typically want
to give about 5 to 10 seconds of wait time after you've asked a
question to your students.
This would mean asking the question
and giving your students an opportunity to process the question
and process an answer.
Students with special needs may need
even more than 5 to 10 seconds of wait time. When we give our
students enough wait time, we allow them the opportunity
to give a good answer.
Don't be nervous about silence.
Silence in the classroom can often
be a very powerful teacher,
and my students begin to learn
that they will be given the opportunity to think and process the
questions that the teacher is asking.