Socratic Seminars

The Socratic Seminar is a very special academic pursuit practiced at Sparhawk. It is a forum wherein students develop the habit of thinking carefully and deeply about a specific text or issue. It results in a culture of inquiry where students can develop their own thoughts and ideas within the safety of a group of interested peers.

The authority lies with the group itself and not with the teacher, and this, as Michael Strong, author of Habit of Thought points out, is a very important difference:

"At present, students experience school as a situation in which they try to incorporate someone else's ideas into their existing understanding by means of memory...As students construct their own understanding, instead of accepting the understandings provided by authorities, they find themselves in dialogue with all texts, all ideas, all experience, all of reality."

Here is what Charles Fischer, a middle school teacher has to say about Socratic Seminar:

Socratic seminar has been brilliant. We have been working on the introduction to a book called Study is Hard Work. Every time we think we're done, there's still more to dig into, more discussion to elicit from the text. This, of course, is the whole point to the seminar. The Socratic Seminar is designed to be a safe place for ideas and questions.

Just this past week, we were going to "finish" the last few paragraphs, but we suddenly found ourselves in the best conversation yet. Our now famous question arose: "How do we know what we know?" After a rocky start, we were quickly engulfed in amazing thoughts and insights. I couldn't even write fast enough to get everything down on paper!

Soon I would like to tape record a session so that anyone interested could come to school and listen to it or borrow a copy to listen to at home! Every session has been getting better. The students are getting used to the idea that they are in charge of what happens and where we go with the ideas. As they encounter problems, they create solutions based on quality feedback and discussion.They are respectful, yet they speak their minds and voice their opinions. They challenge each other politely in their attempts to maintain academic integrity in what we all seem to agree on.

Please come in to visit a seminar. You'll be amazed at what happens! I guarantee it.