The Value of the Socratic Method

If I’m talking too much, students aren’t learning. Strange for a teacher to say that, right? But let me ask you: when’s the last time you were able to stay engaged with a long monologue about the rules of punctuation? See my point? Have you noticed that I’m constantly asking you questions? The Socratic method is a form of dialogue that allows one individual to ask another individual specific questions that will guide them to articulate their perspective and/or help them better understand a concept or argument. The value of individual tutoring and the SAT Bootcamp is that our educators have an opportunity to directly converse with a student. In turn, we see increased engagement and, as a result, greater understanding of concepts. One of my favorite things to do when students share the correct answer is to ask, why is that the correct answer? Providing students the opportunity to articulate why something is correct increases facility with whatever concept we’re discussing. Why should one use a semicolon in that sentence? What are the rules of the semicolon? I’ve had students comment that 90-minute sessions fly by. Why is that? Because they are actively involved throughout the class.

I was recently working with a student in Longmont, Colorado who said, “These sessions were helpful for the SAT, but they also gave me ways to process information when I go off to college.”

-Nick Chase
Owner, Lead Educator
Score Higher Tutoring