The rest of the class turns off. The teacher now has the answer and the other students believe that the activity is done. They think it is no longer necessary for them to continue to think about the problem even though that is exactly what we need them to do. It is important to encourage their questions and to allow them to leave the room not knowing the answer. They will often continue to think about the problem.
Perseverance is an important part of problem solving, and it is very difficult to teach.
We must dispel the myth that any problem that cannot be solved in five minutes is unsolvable. Using the lateral thinking exercises in journals encourages students to solve the problems for themselves and removes some of the initial pressure to solve the problem. This encourages the students to make steps toward the solution. Using a journaling process allows students to proceed toward the solution at their own pace. If a student is having difficulty, the teacher can write a question and also answer it to help move the student along.