Mastering the Art of Pacing

Seamlessly navigate the pacing of your lessons. 

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DR. CRISTINA COMPTON
Director of Program Development
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When I was in college, I waitressed at a French bistro on the Upper West side of Manhattan. During my first couple of shifts, I made all of the quintessential mistakes — forgetting to put in orders, getting orders wrong, not being able to greet all of my tables, not knowing if and when to ask for their order or when to drop the check. I found myself overwhelmed! Over time, however, I learned that to be a really good waitress is a skill, an art, something that you can improve. As one of my favorite managers once told me: you’ll know you’re a good waitress when your patrons don’t even know you’re there, when you seamlessly navigate the pacing of their food and drinks. 

It’s all about the pacing!

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Foundations of timing

In my time as an educator, I have leaned on many of my waitressing experiences. Like waitressing, teaching is an art, and so much depends on successful pacing! How you pace your lessons, the order and flow of your instruction, how much time you dedicate to each task, and how you transition to each segment of a lesson are challenging yet crucial pieces of being a teacher. These actions have such important implications for student learning. 

How can you tighten up your lessons?

Get started with our Foundations of Timing Instruction resource, which highlights helpful considerations and rules of thumb for timing and transitioning your instruction, including: 

• Pacing: Students will take as much time as they are given — more time doesn’t usually translate to a better product.
• Timing: Lessons that end early open the door for student misbehavior and teacher frustration.
• Transitions: Undefined transitions allow for teachers to become distracted by disruptive students. 
• Closings: Closings help students identify the most important information and give a sense of
  completion to the class period.

Whether you are just starting out, or are a seasoned teacher, your pacing can always be improved so that you are better able to serve your students. 

DOWNLOAD: FOUNDATIONS OF TIMING INSTRUCTION

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