Facilitating the Socratic Seminar Select short to moderate text at first. Allow “think” time. Pauses are ok. Model thoughtful behavior. Strive for balance - do not monopolize the conversation. Debrief and give feedback at the end. Follow up with closing activities.

Tips for Smooth Seminars Know the text well. Choose opening questions and support questions before seminar. Review guidelines/expectations every seminar. Take notes during the seminar. At the end, sum up what you heard.

Structure of Socratic Seminar Pre-seminar activities. Discussion leader. Inner/Outer circle. Hot Seat Closure

Expectations of Socratic Seminar Speak loudly and clearly. Cite evidence from text. Listen respectfully. Stay on topic. Avoid slang. Discuss the text, not other participants. Ask for help or clarification.

Pre-Seminar Activities Select text and make copies for each student. Teach any background information needed. Teach students to mark the text. Set ground rules for seminar and post in room. Journal or quickwrite about the topic.

Post Seminar Activities Debrief the seminar experience. Have students write reflective essay over seminar topic. Follow up with another journal entry or quickwrite about the discussion.

Evaluation Look at rubrics and evaluation forms.