Socratic Method

So what is it and how does it work?

Developed by the Greek philosopher, Socrates, the Socratic Method is a way of teaching that uses dialogue full of probing questions. The goal of this method is to help students bring out all possibilities, think about a situation, and expose any biases that might exist. Students begin to learn there is more than one way of thinking about a problem, and will be able to respectfully discuss differing opinions in a civil way. This is a skill our world has lost! We are so excited to help these students learn that it is perfectly acceptable to disagree, and that you can disagree with someone respectfully.

The Socratic Method is often used to promote critical thinking. It focuses on providing more questions than answers to students and fosters curiosity into subjects. Ideally, the answers to questions are not a stopping point for thought but are instead a beginning to further analysis and research. We will hold the students to a high standard of conduct when it comes to Socratic Discussions:

Be on time and be prepared.

Listen intently.

Take a stand.

Build on previous comments.

Be concise.

Provide evidence or examples.

As a guide using this method, we will strive to reply to a student’s question with a question rather than a direct answer. Our hope is to help students see that there is never one “correct” answer unless all other solutions have been ruled out.

Here are some examples of how we might reply to a student’s question, or how students can respond to each other, within a Socratic discussion context.

Why do you say that?

What do you mean by…?

How does this relate to our discussion?

What do you think is the main issue?

Could you expand upon that point further?

While Socratic discussions will be a critical component of our academic approach, we will also be utilizing this method of teaching in other areas of interaction with your students. Our goal is to help steer them to finding answers to their own questions — helping them to problem solve, find information, “learn to learn”, and ultimately take responsibility for their own education and learning.

Take math for example. This is one subject where Socratic teaching could seem obsolete, right? A math problem has a correct answer. This is true, but the way they find that answer can be varied. Additionally, if they are able to find the results on their own, students are much more likely to retain this interaction rather than being handed an answer they will soon forget.

Some examples of questions we can use in the context of math are:

Have you reread the question?

Could the video on this have a detail you missed?

Is the problem being solved simple or complex?

Is it harder to set up the problem correctly or solve it once it is setup?

Is there a distraction I can help you remove so you can solve this?

What other math skill does this resemble?

What are the next steps you will take to master this problem?

We encourage you as parents to use this sort of dialogue at home as well! Help us create critical thinkers and problem solvers by asking questions.