Socratic Seminar

The Socratic seminar is a fantastic method to scaffold classroom discussions. Because it places a particular emphasis on preparation, it encourages a culture of citing evidence and thinking about potential questions during the reading process. Of course, having a Socratic seminar is not only limited to discussing difficult ideas from within a given text, but it shines under these conditions.

Any time discussion is taking place, some students are going to be much more excited than others. More introverted students typically see discussions as an opportunity to retreat into themselves, but the Socratic seminar allows for a significant amount of preparation beforehand that can help to alleviate the nerves and anxiety that some students might feel. The ability to set discussion norms beforehand and the formal nature of the discussion also help more apprehensive students feel safe and appreciated.

Numerous discussion topics arise during a reading of The Odyssey. Some particularly contentious ones are the nature of Odysseus' moral compass, the willingness of the men to remain on Kalypso's island, and the reasoning behind Odysseus disguising himself upon returning home.

"Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates’ belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate. Socratic seminars acknowledge the highly social nature of learning and align with the work of John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Friere. "

Filkins, S. (n.d.). Socratic seminars - readwritethink. Retrieved March 15, 2021, from http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/socratic-seminars-30600.html#:~:text=The%20Socratic%20seminar%20is%20a,to%20the%20thoughts%20of%20others.