You ever try to have a conversation with a painting? No?
Happens to me almost every day. Seriously! It’s frustrating.
In fact, I’m not the only one with this experience. Most high school teachers share this frustration in common with me.
By now most of you realize that I’m not really talking about conversing with the Mona Lisa or anything like that. Rather, I’m talking about every teacher’s nightmare: trying to lead a group of teenagers in discussion who are obstinate, bored, and who won’t engage. Even almost every Teacher of the Year has had this experience at least a few times. We all search to and fro searching for a strategy or two that will wake our students out of their slumber. The one strategy that keep hearing again and again in this regard is called “Socratic Circles.” Those who effectively utilize this strategy report that students are incredibly engaged in deep and enriching discussion. Learning actually happens, and students buy into it!
