One way to promote engagement and learning is to consciously create pauses throughout the day. We can create a sense of spaciousness in our classroom by slowing down the pace of our speech and punctuating our lessons with silence. Introduced well, this practice can improve classroom discourse.
Via Nik Peachey
There's a lot to be said for this. I use the technique a lot myself.
A useful technique to support learning engagement in the classroom. Akin to sustained silent reading or individual work, this process allows independent and critical thinking skill development.