Tips for Class Discussion

Socratic Seminar is a form of a class discussion in which students sit in circle and have a discussion about a topic. Teachers grade students based on the frequency of students’ participation and the quality of the content. Students do not raise their hands before they talk. The one who speaks first gets the chance to speak.
I advise to start the discussion with a topic that you have a lot to say. Ask questions. Teachers give points to insightful or clarifying questions.

Student A

While you can choose to be talkative or taciturn in any casual class discussions, it is required for you to at least participate once in a socratic seminar. Since it is a more formal type of discussion, your English or history teacher will usually give you the topic or prompt prior to the socratic seminar so that you can prepare for it.

A tip for preparing for a socratic seminar is to come up with one or two solid and interesting points about the topic. In this way, you can make sure that you definitely have something to say even if you get nervous or out of your mind during the actual discussion. Another tip is to prepare one or two questions that may inspire others’ response in the discussion. Questions are not only easier to come up with, but they also show your discussion skills to the teacher.

Student C

I think it is helpful to have some notes recorded when you are doing a socratic seminar since you need to reflect on others’ opinions and contribute to the whole conversation. Sometimes you may just write the notes down beside your prepared notes so that you could easily compare and contrast your ideas with others’.

Student Y