Pedagogy of Silence: How Silence Opens Space for Creativity

• In Event: Exploring Creativity as Community Cultural Wealth, In and Beyond the Classroom

Abstract

Objectives
This paper theorizes towards a pedagogy of silence by drawing on an empirical study with Women of Color doctoral students. A pedagogy of silence challenges deficit narratives that posit silence as a deficiency, further marginalizing students from cultural backgrounds that value silence as a tool in learning. Towards recovery and repair, choosing silence pedagogically opens opportunities for creativity by intentionally yielding time to students for introspection.

Theoretical Framing: Challenging Deficit Pedagogies with Silence
Contrary to deficit views, Foley (1996) critiques how most literature on Indigenous youth’s utilization of silence “documented how white teachers are quick to read the silence of Indians as evidence of low motivation, lack of competence in English, or worse still, low cognitive ability” (p. 80). This understanding of silence disproportionately affects People of Color who hold cultural values that place silence as vital to the learning process (Sue et al., 2007). When evaluation heavily weighs verbal participation, students who practice silence are placed at a disadvantage. Sue et al. shared how Asian students felt forced to conform to Western norms when prompted to speak more in class, highlighting the importance of more culturally responsive pedagogical practices with silence to cultivate different ways for students to learn.
Mary Reda (2009) urges instructors to break deficit views of understanding students’ silences as only a result of failing to understand. Instead, she calls instructors to notice different expressions of learning, placing silence as a productive mode of learning that allows for more critical observations. Across disciplines, the implementations of silence as a pedagogical tool can help students operationalize different modes of learning, especially with complex concepts . Normalizing silence, with even a few extra seconds to respond can help a student build the courage to speak in class, and open space for creative connections.

 
Methods and Findings
Choosing silence is a pedagogical strategy taken up by students and instructors. During a video testimonio, Itzel, an Indigenous woman in Sociology, shared that as a student she often felt the benefits of practicing silence in class, because it gave her space to form important connections before offering her thoughts, choosing silence in order to say something with intention. As a teacher, she implemented what could be considered a pedagogy of silence.

I let students know that it’s totally fine to sit with our thoughts for around two minutes. Which I know can feel like a very long time for students. But in my own experiences in academia, we’re not given enough time to really process our thoughts. We’re asked to share and expected to come up with an analysis within ten seconds[...]. (Video Testimonio)

Scholarly and Pedagogical Significance
As Itzel modeled and implemented, a pedagogy of silence allows students to learn in a culturally responsive environment. Opening space for students to sit in silence gives students the time to engage in critical ways. This work contributes to a body of work that positions silence as a model for learning for Indigenous and other Students of Color (Montoya, 2000; Reda, 2009).

Author

• Magali Campos, University of California - Los Angeles