We had our first Socratic seminar this week. It’s so much different in such small classes. In one period, there were only eight students, which means four pairs. Four people talking doesn’t allow for animated discussion amongst eighth graders, you would think, but they actually did the best among all the students. It helps to have naturally talkative students, I guess. Still, with eight to twelve pairs of students working, the seminars seem to produce more ideas and livelier discussions.
It doesn’t work as well when there’s only half the class in attendance, but that’s just one of the sacrifices we make in 2020. We’re here at school. In person. We’re able to do it at all. That’s what counts.
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