The Power of the Socratic Classroom

Changing Minds

A lot of schools have debate clubs or debate teams, and most students learn public speaking at various times. But there are far fewer dialogue clubs and almost no "public listening" courses. Some schools do have philosophy clubs or similar groups where students can have genuine conversations. Some of my colleagues at the International Listening Association have even created projects where their college students offer free listening to their peers. Generally, we do not have the dialogue equivalent of speech and debate clubs. But I think we should. Students need safe circumstances to express themselves. They need occasions to hear and understand other viewpoints. And they need opportunities to have their ideas challenged in safe ways, to refine and possibly modify their thinking, perhaps even change their minds altogether. Changing your mind is one of the ultimate acts of learning. It requires a great deal: willingness, open-mindedness, active listening, critical thinking, comparison, humility, and much more. Changing your mind can be scary but it means you are willing to grow into the unknown. And now I am feeling the point of this writing coming to conclusion: “If we can change our minds, we can change the world.”