Some students verbally freeze whenever the spotlight falls on them. They may look down or away, shrug, or offer a quiet “I don’t know” when asked to respond to a question or comment. Such students think they have nothing to contribute. They may identify themselves as “not being good at maths” and be afraid they’ll say something wrong or silly in front of their peers. They may also feel that they take too long to form a response and say “I don’t know” so that they don’t have the pressure of others waiting for them.
Silence can indicate that a student needs more thinking time to process the content of what is being said or that the student is confused or “lost” and doesn’t want to say this out loud. Observe the student’s body language for clues to whether they are still thinking and need more time or whether they are confused and unsure of what is expected.
Sometimes the silence results in the teacher moving on before other students get restless. The student with low confidence or the student who is confused feels relief, and the slower processing student feels frustrated and gives up. Providing more wait time before expecting an answer can relieve the pressure and encourage these students to participate.
Periods of silence are also common for second language learners, especially initially, when they are acquiring the new language without producing it. This silence may not mean unwillingness to participate but rather a period of intense observation and listening. Pairing and co-operative learning strategies can support students as they learn a new language. As they acquire basic interpersonal communication skills, ensure that the language learner is supported with non-verbal gestures, diagrams, and contextualised problems. The vocabulary of mathematics presents difficulties because the meanings of words (such as point, power, square, negative) often change in mathematical contexts.
Back to Resource 11: Addressing avoidance behaviours in mathematics classes