"Would Hester Prynne have confessed without the Puritans putting the scarlet 'A' on her?"
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| Sophomore English students participate in a Socratic seminar. |
One of Michael Mayer's sophomore English students posed this question to her classmates, and then the discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter was off and running for the next 45 minutes of class time, with little teacher interjection. Students explored the themes of this classic piece of American literature, referencing their classmates' ideas and quotes from the text, for the entirety of the class period.
Mr. Mayer's English classes are not your typical lecture courses. His Socratic seminars mimic what most students find in a college-level discussion course: an entire period of student discourse and discussion. This is the third year that Mr. Mayer has been using these seminars as part of his English curriculum here at Ursuline.
"It goes without saying that it affords an opportunity for somewhat more reserved students to contribute to class discussion," he said. "Perhaps more importantly, though, it gives the students a chance to work through, around, over and under questions posed by the literature."
During this particular class on The Scarlet Letter, students discussed topics ranging from tragedy in literature to Puritan perceptions of sin and guilt, as well as the intersection of religion, law and society. Students cited quotes from the novel to support their assertions, and even made connections to the Greek tragedy Antigone and Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories, both books they had read in previous classes at Ursuline.
"The seminar provides a teacher-free space for them to wrestle with ideas and issues that are of primary importance: questions about morality, spirituality, the human family, etc.," Mr. Mayer said. "My absolute favorite part of the entire method is seeing the conversation begin, take shape and ultimately veer off in an entirely different direction to include an entirely different viewpoint."
Students in Mr. Mayer's classes enjoy the seminars, as well as the chance for their voices to be heard.
"While his lectures surely bring to light many ideas that help me understand the depth and symbolic meaning as well as the plot of a novel, the Socratic seminars are very enlightening, bringing new perspectives and ideas into the mix," said Michaela Chipman '15, one of Mr. Mayer's sophomore English students. "By using the Socratic method, our class can all share and recognize one another's points, and also, quieter, more shy students can share thoughtful, analytical viewpoints that may have otherwise never been mentioned."
Students know that they must come prepared to consistently participate in the discussion. As Mr. Mayer reminded his students at the beginning of class, the goal is not to make one point, get participation credit and then not participate in the rest of the discussion. All students must be full and active participants in the discussion for these Socratic seminars to work well. Luckily, that is exactly the case for these sophomore students. As Michaela put it: "Mr. Mayer, as well as our class, values the opinion and insight of every student, and [this is] an excellent way to allow all to share their thoughts."