60-Second Strategy: The Hot Seat
Providing the active listeners in the outer ring of a Socratic circle a way to jump in with their burning questions and comments keeps all students engaged.
Your content has been saved!
Go to My Saved Content.In Jennifer Montgomery鈥檚 seventh-grade English class in Eminence, Kentucky, there are no students zoning out during class discussions. That鈥檚 because she expects the students in the outer circle鈥攖he ones who are traditionally supposed to observe and actively listen to the students in the inner circle鈥攖o look for opportunities to jump in when they have something to add to the conversation. She reserves a single empty seat in the inner circle for these contributors, labeled 鈥渢he hot seat,鈥� and it鈥檚 made all the difference for bumping up participation in her Socratic seminars. 鈥淚t propels the discussion,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ometimes it turns the discussion in a different direction. And it keeps them on their toes.鈥�
For more strategies on managing Socratic circles, read Mary Davenport鈥檚 article for 麻豆传媒入口, 鈥�Building a Culture of Student-Led Discussion,鈥� or watch this 麻豆传媒入口 video, 鈥�Scaffolding Discussion Skills With a Socratic Circle.鈥�