Socratic Seminar Reflection

I must admit I was apprehensive about the Socratic Seminars my class participated in, mainly because I was positive I would be able to come up with nothing to talk about. Thankfully, I actually found talking quite easy; I seemed to have more ideas than time to discuss.

Preparing for this seminar allowed me to think deeper about the text, and therefore understand it better. I had discussed the novel some with my friends, but knowing that I actually had to come up with ideas, questions, and opinions forced me to really think hard on what I had read. Analyzing the novel really opened my eyes to so many thoughts I had never considered before, such as: Can someone truly be happy without having what makes them unique?

I found it odd at first to have people challenge my thoughts or opinions without being able to turn the discussion into a debate. In one of the seminars, my group talked about the lack of individualism in the Brave New World civilization. I thought it was disturbing because I find it hard to believe that all on Earth would ever sacrifice their uniqueness for the happiness of mankind. My idea was challenged though by classmate Sadie Duke, with her saying that the people would not have had to sacrifice their individualism, just that of the future generations.

I felt as though I communicated pretty effectively in the seminar, in conveying my ideas and listening to others opinions and considering them. My biggest fault may have actually been talking to much. I talked with some classmates later about it, and apparently in my first discussion I was talking for a about half of the allotted time. I guess I just came over prepared. Staying quiet when I had so much to say was definitely a difficulty for me. The aspect I most enjoyed about the seminar was being able to loosen up in a classroom setting, which are usually very controlled and ordered, and to simply have a discussion with my friends about mine and their personal views. The pressure of school work seemed to lift off my shoulders when I was in the circle, and I did not even feel like I was in a class; I felt as though I was just having a conversation with people around me.

My communication skills, I learned, while not perfect, are not bad at all. I have always known that I can talk well. I seem to get across my point, explaining myself well, while not dilly-dallying around the subject. I strive to be concise. My listening skills, I feel, are better than many, though once again, not perfect. My mind is almost always open to hearing others' ideas, because I know that I want others to listen to mine. The biggest fault of my communication skills would probably be my desire to turn a discussion into a debate: In fact, when Sadie challenged my idea, our discussion was actually on the brink of turning from dialogue to debate. If someone disagrees with me, I love giving examples, data, all kinds of support for my argument, although I do always respect the other's opinion. I have never, for instance, told anyone that their opinion is stupid or invalid.

I generally really liked the seminar, though a few aspects seemed to be a bit awkward. Sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by classmates, for example, puts a great deal of pressure on the people in the center. I felt as though we were cornered and being stared at. Which I suppose, we were being stared at. The only real problem I had was how we collected everyone's score sheets at the end. By giving them to the actual person scored, they could look and see what everyone rated them. That was definitely awkward! I pretty much shoved their sheets in their hands and ran away really fast, even if the scores were really good.

A Socratic Seminar, in my opinion, benefited the class more than a unit test would have, because we had a chance to discuss the book and share our own interpretations of the text. By receiving many different views, we were able to modify our own opinions and allow them to grow and mature into a multi-angled assessment. I, personally, would not object to another seminar, especially if it is in the place of a test!