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Socratic Seminar

Kathryn Chambers

North Carolina State University

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Imagine you are walking into a middle school classroom. You might expect to see rows

of student desks with the teacher lecturing at the front of the room and the students quietly taking

notes. You may picture that some of the students are fully-engaged and focused, but there are

others who sit back and daydream, and a few more are passing notes and tuning out every word

of the lecture. Though this is a common instructional set-up for many classrooms around the

country, researchers have begun to question the value of a teacher-centered classroom and its

conduciveness to student learning. As we learn more about the brain, we know that certain

factors have to be in place for many students to learn. According to How the Brain Learns Best

by Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D,an internationally recognized authority on brain

development and children in crisis,:

When a child is in a familiar and safe situation, as in most of our classrooms, his or her

brain will seek novelty. So, if the child hears only factual information, she will fatigue

within minutes. Only four to eight minutes of pure factual lecture can be tolerated before the

brain seeks other stimuli, either internal (e.g., daydreaming) or external (Who is that walking

down the hall?). If the teacher is not providing that novelty, the brain will go elsewhere.

Continuous presentation of facts or concepts in isolation or in a nonstop series of anecdotes will

all have the same fatiguing effect and the child will not learn as much, nor will she come to

anticipate and enjoy learning.

One brain-based solution to engage students in learning is the Socratic Seminar, which is a formal

discussion, based on text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. Within the context of

the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for

themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and responses to the thoughts of others. They learn

to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly (Israel, 2002, p.89). Socratic
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Seminar engages students because they are challenged to share their opinions and back them up

with evidence, and the students and their ideas become the center of the classroom, rather than

the teacher. The Socratic Seminar is derived from an ancient form of discourse- Socratic

dialogue: Through doubt and systematic questioning of another person, one gets to ultimate

truth (Tredway, 1995, p.26). The brain becomes intrigued because Socratic-type questioning

does not lead to one right answer or facts to be memorized for a test. The questions are complex,

demanding critical thinking and reasoning, and with proper support, students of all ages and

abilities can rise to the challenge.

Many middle school students claim that their voices are ignored in the classroom, where

the attitude is too often that the teacher holds the one right answer. Instead of this

approach, teachers may wish to use the Socratic Seminar, which prompts students to

examine issues and ideas through dialogue and actively involves and motivates them,

giving them a voice in the classroom and vesting them in the learning process (Mee,

2007, p.37).

There are many benefits to Socratic Seminar besides student engagement. One example is

the power of Socratic Seminar to give students confidence with talking and writing about text.

Common Core standards state that students should be able to analyze literature and write about it

proficiently, yet this is difficult for many students to master, especially students with disabilities.

Some researchers have found that the open-discussion method not only allows students to

support their own opinions with details but also strengthens their ability to exhibit a personal

voice in their writing and improves the depth of their papers (Chorzempa & Lapidus, 2009,

p.55). It should be noted that Socratic Seminars can be used at any and all stages of reading
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and/or writing. When used before reading or before beginning a unit of study, they can activate

prior knowledge and get students interested in the text or topic. Seminars can also help students

to puzzle through a complex text as they work together to generate Socratic-type questions and

share their own understandings as a learning community. In addition, Socratic Seminars are a

powerful way to conclude a close read of a text, or to wrap-up a novel study, or to finish a

content area unit.

It is important to note that Socratic Seminars must be carefully planned to be the most

successful for learning. It is key that the teacher fosters a classroom culture that is open-minded

and encouraging of different opinions. Students of all ages are often nervous about speaking in

front of their peers and need to know that they will be respected if they share their ideas during

the discussion. Though Socratic Seminar is not a teacher-centered activity, it is vital for the

teacher to remain active as a facilitator to guide students in using considerate and thoughtful

language as well as constructive criticism. It is possible to establish positive classroom climate

by using trust-building activities in the beginning of the year, along with group activities and

academic games that always close with students reflection on the experience, including

questions directing students to consider what they did well, and what they could do better

(Chorzempa & Lapidus, 2009, p.56). In a typical Socratic Seminar, students do not raise their

hands to speak, but instead rely on social and communication skills (body language, eye contact,

mutual respect, etc.) to hold an intellectual discussion. They learn to listen to each other and

build upon one anothers ideas, making the classroom community stronger (Tredway, 1995,

p.27).
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When introducing Socratic Seminar for the first time, teachers should take the time to

scaffold this activity and gradually release responsibility back to the students. For example, it is

important to build necessary background knowledge and allow adequate practice with concepts

so students can access the seminar topic with confidence. Students should be reminded of the

difference between right-there and in your head questions and be given models and practice

with both types. Elementary students especially will benefit from the opportunity to preview

possible discussion questions and search for text evidence before beginning the seminar. Also, a

typical Socratic Seminar will not require students to raise their hands in an effort to promote free

self-expression, but an elementary teacher may want to modify this rule to allow for more equal

participation. As with any instructional strategy, it is important for the teacher to carefully

consider the needs of his or her class when planning and implementing a Socratic Seminar.

(Chorzempa & Lapidus, 2009, p.57).

I am incredibly passionate about the Socratic Seminar strategy because I truly believe it

can be implemented successfully in a wide variety of classrooms with incredible benefits. There

is a wealth of quality information available on how to adapt Socratic Seminar to best fit the

needs of your students, and this should make it less intimidating for teachers who want to try a

new strategy, but arent sure how to start. Ive used Socratic Seminar several times in my

teaching career, and it has led to some of my most vivid and positive classroom memories. It is

so rewarding to lay the groundwork for a seminar and then step back and let your students

engage in authentic inquiry and academic discussion about a text and/or topic. I remember

engaging in these seminars as a student in middle and high school, and Im hopeful my students

will also remember these moments when they look back on their school careers.
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References

Common Core State and NC Essential Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2016, from

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/acre/standards/

Chorzempa, B. F., & Lapidus, L. (2009). "To find yourself, think for yourself" Teaching

Exceptional Children, 41(3), 54-59. Retrieved April 30, 2016.

How the brain learns best. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2016, from

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/brainlearns.htm

Israel, Elfie. Examining multiple perspectives in literature. In Inquiry and the Literary Text:

Constructing Discussions in the English Classroom. James Holden and John S. Schmit,

eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.

Mee, M. (2007). Enough about you, let's talk about me: student voice in the classroom. National

Middle School Association: Middle Ground, 10(3), 37-38.

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Tredway, L. (1995). Socratic seminars: engaging students in intellectual discourse. Educational

Leadership, 53(1), 26-29.