The Power of the Socratic Classroom

Many facilitators use closing questions near the end of the seminar to bring the conversation back to the students on a more personal and emotional level. Wanda Ball and Pam Brewer, authors of Socratic Seminars in the Block, write: “An absolute pattern emerging from recent studies of learning and the brain is that if emotion can be tapped, if connections with previous learning can be made, and relevance can be established, retention and learning increase. The sole purpose of the closing question is to create these personal links between content issues and the lives of students… Remember, that this is the only question that may and, perhaps for the emphasis on personalization, should use the word ’you’ or ‘we.’” Closing questions create relevance and often connect to the real world, especially if the seminar was abstract or historical. A good closing question can also help students think about homework, developing ideas for writing papers, participating in a blog and other follow-up assignments.