Using Socratic Seminars and Literature Circles: Teaching by Questioning

The use of Socratic Seminars, also known as Literature Circles, in the classroom gives students the opportunity to engage and connect with their peers around a commonly read text. It should be noted that the use of the Socratic Method is not just for high schoolers, but can easily and effectively be used at all grade levels. Ross Cooper, Supervisor of Instructional Practice K-12, Salisbury Township School District, Allentown, PA, uses Literature Circles in his 4th grade classroom and talks about it in his recent article, “(Almost) Paperless Literature Circles”. The biggest thing to see here is that students own this process and thus are directing and managing their own learning - with some careful guidance from Cooper. Key to his implementation was his making sure that each student, in each group, had a role. Here are the “jobs” that his students performed:

• Connector: Go into detail regarding a specific text-to-self or text-to-text connection.
• Passage Picker: Find one or two paragraphs that are moving in some way. Write why you picked each passage and describe your thoughts.
• Plot Twister: What exactly would you change in the chapters that you read for homework to make them go the way that you would have preferred? Why?
• Wonderer: As you read, create a list of relevant statements starting with "What if?" or "I wonder."
• Predictor: Based on what you read for homework, explain what you think is going to happen next. Also explain why you made your predictions.
• Psychologist: Give advice to one of the book’s characters. What would you tell him or her to do, and why?
• Journalist: Pick a character and, based on what you read for homework, write a passage in his or her personal journal.
• Student Choice: Decide how you would like to respond to the chapters that you read for homework. If you aren't satisfied with any of the jobs, create your own idea.

These roles ensure that each student is actively engaged in the process. It also gives students the opportunity to direct their own learning.

The Paideia Institute focuses on training schools, administrators, and teachers to use the Socratic Method in their schools and classrooms. The word Paideia is pronounced (py-dee-a) from the Greek "pais, paidos": the upbringing of a child. According to The Paideia website, “socratic seminars continue the tradition of Socrates, the classical Greek philosopher who taught his followers by asking questions. Today, Socratic dialogue can transform students’ learning experience in classrooms from elementary through high school and beyond. When facilitated by a skilled teacher, the Paideia approach to Socratic Seminar can lead to:

• Significantly improved student achievement in core Language Arts skills, including reading, speaking and listening, and writing
• Increased student motivation because students get to generate and express their own ideas"

The use of the Socratic Method is generally characterized as "teaching by asking questions". Paideia officially defines Socratic Seminar “as a collaborative, intellectual dialogue facilitated with open-ended questions about a text.”

Pepper Langauge Arts Courses provide a great launching point for incorporating the Socratic Method and Literature Circles into your classroom practice. In the K-5 group, two courses, Text-Based Discussions in Elementary School and Balancing Informational and Literary Texts, provide great opportunity for engaging students in question-based learning. At the Middle and High School level, Text Discussion and ELA/Literacy Shifts courses are available for teachers.

Pepper Courses and your Pepper Learning Community can be great resources for implementing new ideas. Utilizing the experience and skills of teachers from around the country can provide unique opportunities for networking and sharing lesson ideas and classroom management tips.

Reaching and Teaching English Language Learners

"The hardest part of living in a different country is the language barrier. Because you know you have to learn the language in order to survive." – Betina Johnson

Most teachers will agree that building relationships with students can drastically affect classroom performance. As classrooms across the United States are becoming more diverse with increasing numbers of students whose primary home languages are not English, teachers must try to make connections with these students and, if possible, their families. Knowing what students are interested in will allow teachers to craft lessons that engage students and are relevant to them. Larry Ferlazzo, Sacramento, CA high school teacher, states, “When teachers get to know their students, they can make better decisions about the curriculum, instructional strategies, classroom management, assessment, [and] pacing.” In his recent article, 7 Tips for Building Positive Relationships with English-Language Learners, he also gives strategies to build and maintain positive student-teacher relationships. These include the following:

1. Regular Check-ins - Make a point to talk with a few students each day.
2. Reading Student Writings - Students often feel more comfortable communicating through writing.
3. Teachers Writing about the Classroom - “Taking a few minutes to write about the class (whether it is a simple reflection on how a lesson went, how a student demonstrated an exceptional insight, or sharing a few successes and challenges from the week) and then sharing this writing with the class can increase trust and respect between the teacher and the students.”
4. Teacher/Student Letter Exchange - This provides both a way to connect and learn more about your students as well as provide a writing sample that can be used to monitor growth.
5. Weekly Reflections - Teachers can stay connected to students by having them write a weekly reflection. This reflection could simply be a journal or responses to questions.
6. Evaluations - Asking students to complete anonymous evaluations can help build trust between the student and teacher.
7. “Talking and Walking” - If time and schedule allows, take a brief 5 minute walk with a few students each week. This provides a comfortable environment and another opportunity to connect.

These are just a few ways to connect with your ELL students. Pepper’s ELL courses, Constructive Classroom Conversations for K-5, 6-8, and 9-12, will help teachers facilitate meaningful conversations in the classroom. The overall goal is for participating educators to better understand student-to-student classroom discourse and use what they learn to facilitate higher quality interactions that build disciplinary knowledge and skills.

New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers

It’s a new year. It may only be halfway through the school year, but January still offers opportunities to make changes and add new ideas to your classroom. New Year’s Resolutions are a time for reflection and a time for planning. Many of us make resolutions for our personal life, but we're going to look at some resolutions for educators.

Below are TeachHub.com’s Top 12 New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers:

1. Stay Positive - You’re in the final stretch, spring break and summer are right around the corner.
2. Spice up your Classroom Routine - Try one new technology or instructional technique each month to keep things new and challenging for you and your students. Check out these great EdTech Resolutions from Edutopia.
3. Build Fitness into your Curriculum - Whether you’re focused on avoiding snacks in the workroom or taking more steps each day, choose something to improve your health - and encourage your students to do the same.
4. Get your Work/Life Balance in Order - Making the decision to keep work and home separate can help you and your students because you’ll be more a happier, more relaxed teacher.
5. Give Individual Time and Attention to Students - This is a tough one, but try to connect with each of your students throughout the week. You can change a life.
6. Get Organized - Work Smarter, Not Harder - You probably started the school year with this goal. If you got behind, don’t let it get you down. Use the new year to get back on track.
7. Don’t Let Admin and School Policies Get you Down - You can’t change a lot of these, so keep your head high, your attitude positive, and do your best for your students.
8. Plan your Move up the Pay Scale - Think about courses and professional development opportunities that you can use to grow as an educator. Use the great courses on Pepper to explore new teaching concepts and techniques.
9. Set Goals and Avoid Auto-Pilot Mode - Aside from the goals you set for your school, what are some personal goals that you have for your students and/or classroom?
10. Get Students Involved/Empowered - This one thing alone could change the face of your classroom. Students who take more ownership of their learning will care more and learn more.
11. Make Better Use of Planning - Use your school time wisely so that you can take less home.
12. Dress to Impress Yourself - How you feel about yourself will reflect your classroom attitude. Take time to make sure you feel good about you.

Whatever your goals are this new year, your Pepper team wants to help you be the best teacher you can and help your students learn and grow academically. Your Pepper Learning Community can be a great resource for implementing new goals and ideas. Utilizing the experience and skills of teachers from around the country can provide unique opportunities for networking and sharing lesson ideas and classroom management tips. Also be sure to check out your Pepper Resource Library for great tools and resources.

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