…and What It Means to Them
Socratic Method at Grauer
“I find myself using the Socratic Method often when we are solving and breaking down word problems. Problem solving skills don’t come easily to many students. However, when I ask them to break down each sentence and write down what they are asking, the students start asking more questions, and that’s problem solving skill.
They wonder if solving problems using other methods will work. They try things and get creative. As much as it is hard to be Socratic and finish all the required concepts in math, I believe it can be a useful method especially when we are reviewing for tests and quizzes (or on Fridays when I have more time and freedom to ask more open ended questions).”
–Fariba
“I actually find it easier to be Socratic in math (once we move beyond two step equations) than in World Religion a lot of the time because we’ve got the two best questions to ask: “What happens next? Why?” I recognize that I get to stand on the shoulders of giants (the algebraic foundations that you all have established), but the students are willing to reason through how to do a lot of work, challenging each other.
As a department, I think we’ve addressed one of the bigger ones: the idea that math is something to be done in independent silence. Our efforts to show math as a collaborative process have made it easier for all of us to be Socratic and to dispel the idea, to our students, that being “good at math” is a one-size-fits-all concept and that there are a variety of strengths individuals can demonstrate that are them being “good at math.””
–Clayton
“I feel that I am becoming more Socratic each year. Instead of just writing the problems on the board and giving the correct steps to solve it, I see myself asking questions to allow the students to see the different possibilities of solving a problem. Each student is so different and there are so many ways to solve a problem and allowing them to tackle that in a group setting allows them to learn the information better in my opinion.
I also find myself asking them what they would do if they were stuck on this problem at home or on a test. This allows them to see how they would come up with the solution independently with certain questions they can ask themselves. The class flows better and the students enjoy being part of the discussion, rather than just taking notes. With each class I am trying to engage them more and for them to ask more questions and I can honestly say it is working well. I am glad to say that I am also seeing it in the middle school as well.”
–Dominique
“When a student can relate to a question being posed and see relevance in their own lives, that is where the magic lies in my experience. Spending more time developing questions and tasks that consider the context of a teenage life is always valuable and leads to more enriched Socratic discussions. Can I work on doing this more? Yes, I think there is always room to improve this particular aspect of my own teaching. I also have been trying to weave in opportunities for students to develop their own questioning abilities in class, which is a tough skill, but then gives them the tools to really deepen the conversations and take ownership over them. Again, a work in progress.”
–Alicia
“When a student can relate to a question being posed and see relevance in their own lives, that is where the magic lies in my experience. Spending more time developing questions and tasks that consider the context of a teenage life is always valuable and leads to more enriched Socratic discussions. Can I work on doing this more? Yes, I think there is always room to improve this particular aspect of my own teaching. I also have been trying to weave in opportunities for students to develop their own questioning abilities in class, which is a tough skill, but then gives them the tools to really deepen the conversations and take ownership over them. Again, a work in progress.”
–Frida
“They are free thinkers. Naturally, we discussed the parameters for creating a safe place of respecting and appreciating varying opinions and perspectives. Many of my students will comment on a passage and follow it up with, ‘…and then below the surface, I think…” or even better, they will look around at their peers and say, “…what is below the surface that I’m missing?” If that doesn’t happen, I will say, “And below the surface…?”
I’m always concerned about the quieter students, particularly those who are (who were) considered ‘less academic’ by their peers. To combat this, I do a few things, I either email students, chat with them after class or ‘run into’ them outside of the classroom and ask them what they thought about the reading. Another thing I do is have a ‘free response’. This is where students are not required to raise their hand but simply offer an answer or opinion. (I know this is not excellent classroom management but it sure is fun!) From the outside, this may seem chaotic but I love it! It’s loud and messy and even the quietest students feel comfortable throwing their voice into the mix. I then specifically move towards the student/s I am hoping to highlight and hear what they are saying and then ask them to repeat it for the class. This was difficult at first but the students now know I will focus on them and validate their perspective only if they surreptitiously seek it by voicing their opinion, even quietly.
I have been delighted to see how this has increased the confidence level in so many students that previously would not offer a comment. My favorite part of this is when the other students either start scribbling notes while others say things like, “Whoah, Dude…yo! So true!”
It’s all a work in progress.”
–Louise
“In history class we have discussions almost every day. The 7th graders have impressed with their inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity while the 10th graders have excelled in their maturity and the thoughtfulness of their contributions. A lot of these discussions are shorter and more inquiry based, but we have longer discussions as well. For longer discussions I have found it to be helpful to scaffold work to prepare students so they can create their thoughts step by step and build on their own thinking while we work through the topic as a class.
Civil conversations have been a focus of the social studies department this year and the students have been able to practice in those skills on a number of different occasions, though they could definitely still improve. The students have definitely improved and created better discussions throughout the year and it is definitely a learned skill. It also takes practice by the teacher to be able to create a productive and supportive environment that helps guide the students to being productive in these conversations.
The biggest drawback to these types of discussions is how they need to be a practiced skill that improved over time, so it requires a lot of time investment throughout the year. It is also a difficult proposition to get all students engaged and involved in these discussions as some shy away from whole class contributions and some see it as a time they can get away with mentally “checking out” in class. I have found that some of the best Socratic classes I’ve held start with discussing and working in small groups and then come together as a class. This increases the comfort level of the students, both in sharing their opinions, and in their perceived mastery of the content being discussed.”
–Paul Michael
“Not surprisingly, this is much easier for me in my upper-level classes (Calculus, Calc 2, Statistics) which generally have students who are more confident in their math knowledge and able to express their ideas without too much fear of being wrong. In those classes I’m generally happy with the depth of discussion that occurs regarding how to solve problems, and the balance is between how long to let discussion continue before offering another idea. Oftentimes I give a “group question” on a quiz (credit to Clayton – who was doing this way before me!), where the students are free to work together to solve the problem (usually a more difficult problem than the individual problems). I love watching students compare ideas – the group dynamics, and the resulting approaches of students with varying levels of math confidence, are VERY interesting to watch.
Geometry is less discussion-oriented, at least this year. I would love to have more discussions in class, but right now I’m not feeling like that’s something the students are super into in my Geometry classes – I don’t want to force it, especially when there’s lots of other stuff to do! There are some students who love to talk about the ideas, but as Morgan said I don’t want them to dominate the discussion, and lots of students come in with math hesitancy and I don’t want to push them too much. But I’m always happy to talk about whatever the students are interested in, whether it’s math or not!!
As Clayton implied, the most memorable discussions are generally ones that don’t have to do with mathematics, or at least not initially. Sometimes I manage to relate the topic to an interesting math concept related to what we’re talking about; those are some of my most proud moments as a teacher when I see how to do this!! Usually I can’t (I definitely don’t try to force it), and that’s OK too; nothing wrong with some digressions here and there if the students are genuinely interested in the discussion.”
–Peter
“I have always loved the Socratic approach. It was Plato after all that first turned me on to philosophy and academics. After reflecting some, I do think I have a kind of pattern though I imagine this is pretty much standard practice for most teachers who are facilitating discussion. While in discussion, I like to follow the formula of acknowledging what each student has said by paraphrasing their main idea and then adding a question that probes for more depth, connects it to another comment, or the content/theme we are working on and I pose that to the student who commented or open it up for others to comment/contribute. I try to facilitate the discussion and listen for the threads that are the most interesting or poignant for the students.
And then of course, finding counterpoints to rebuttal ideas so that students have the opportunity to question assumptions, challenge mainstream beliefs, and/or develop their ideas by expanding them, elaborating, finding more supporting details…etc. And of course finding the right content that they like and switches their minds/hearts on. That’s the big challenge for me. Finding the right material and questions.”
–Sam
“I feel like I often struggle with meeting the students where they are at. Certain topics they have no background and so it takes a bit of input to coax out their questions. It is a balancing act not to overwhelm them, keep them curious and reach kids at all levels.
Some of things that have helped me walk this balance:
- Having a cluster of images that connect to major concepts. It helps to share a picture of a family with albinism or a glowing mouse when discussing genetics.
- Referencing actual experiments that connect to topics so the kids get a sense of how we know what we know.
- Saying “I have no idea” when I am stumped and looking things up with the kids.”
–Nick
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