As you walk into the classroom, you see that the desks are arranged in two circles, one inside the other, and mild chaos ensues as your classmates decide where to sit. A deafening silence fills the room. It grows louder. The rustle of papers and books and the uneasy shuffling of students breaks it for a moment.
Your teacher starts to talk—and no one else wants to. Eventually, conversation cautiously begins, and students from the outer circle begin taking notes on the ideas from the inner circle.
This is the Socratic seminar.
Socratic seminars are often used during English classes to discuss books, articles, or a general topic. This discussion protocol and teaching strategy originated from Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher who believed in critical thinking through the usage of persistent questions. While some students dislike these seminars, others favor them over other means of discussion.
“I think Socratic seminars are beneficial to students because they help them with public speaking,” said Lucas Casado ‘28.
As public speaking continues to play a huge role in society today, Socratic seminars can help allow students to present their ideas in a more friendly setting without feeling nervous about standing in front of the class. Through these seminars, students can express themselves naturally on the topic at hand, deepening their understanding of the material through their peers’ ideas. However, despite the practical advantages, students still find many issues with participating in the seminars.
“I personally just don’t like having to force the conversations, and most of the time it’s hard to get out what I think when everyone is talking,” said Eden Cheow ‘27.
Beyond learning to express their thought processes, students are also required to identify the moment when they should enter the conversation. It’s about knowing when to jump in and when to finish your argument, all while trying to keep in mind that monopolizing the conversation will only harm other students’ grades. The competitive nature of Socratics often undermines the classroom environment (not to mention Socrates’ original intent), stifling student enthusiasm and comfort levels in the process.
“There’s more pressure when students only focus on talking and getting participation points rather than the content of the actual discussion,” said Grace Huang ‘26.
With their grades on the line, students are sure to participate even when they don’t have to speak; the outer group of students who take notes on the inner circle’s discussion can focus on broadening their ideas through listening.
At Edison High, teachers have their own take on Socratic seminars.
Commonly used in an English class, teachers use the Socratic seminar method to help students connect the details from the text they know to broader ideas. In contrast, Socratic seminars are not a “one size fits all” tool in the classroom. Although useful, it is not the only way to have a small group discussion. Teachers like English teacher Ms. Amiee Baer often prefer the method of small group discussion, as it allows students to “become an expert on one particular topic and share that knowledge with others,” while relieving pressure on students.
“I tend to favor Socratic seminars for use in more targeted and specialized applications, typically as a means of helping students synthesize their knowledge about a broad range of topics or texts,” said Baer.
While being associated with English classrooms, Socratic seminars are still used in other humanities courses, including higher academic courses like AP U.S History. In these subjects, students must not only evaluate historical events but also comprehend the different viewpoints.
“Socratic seminars are a way for students to engage with content at a higher level, and they might not even realize it,” said AP U.S History teacher Ms. Jennifer Sidorski. “I think in the moment students might feel overwhelmed or confused by the task, but if they have a foundational knowledge of the content, Socratics are a great way to achieve higher-level thinking.”
While some students naturally thrive in this interactive environment, some may struggle with the pressure to speak. Even with varying comfort levels among students, many teachers see Socratic seminars as a method of leading students deeper than memorization.
“I think the beauty of the Socratic seminar is that it’ll allow students to express what they know, but also to learn different perspectives at the same time,” said English teacher Ms. Taylor Brennan.