Discussion as a Way of Teaching

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The technique that I enjoyed and want to implement into my future classroom is “The Circle of Voices” on page six. In high school my English teacher use the Socratic seminars in which ten people would be in the circle with an empty chair for people to rotate in with, once someone filled the chair another person would have to rotate out. In contrast to the Socratic seminar method “The Circle of Voices” allows for every student to have a chance to speak and give their opinions and ideas that surround the topic that is being covered. I know that in high school I would always be anxious that my original thoughts and ponderings on a piece of writing wouldn’t be relevant at any point of the conversation and/or I would miss a chance to restart the conversation with my supposedly brilliant thoughts. Since “The Circle of Voice” discussion style gives every student a chance to talk the anxiety of not having a chance to talk can be eliminated as well as each student’s comments don’t have to correlate with each other.

The rule of no one being allowed to expand on their original comment unless directly asked is also an interesting idea. Not being able to expand will force students to fully process and prepare what they want to say on the topic before talking. Students will also be forced to listen to each other as well as the discussion will break down into a more Socratic style after each student has had a chance to share.


By using “The Circle of Voices” technique within the classroom students will know to have opinions already formed and ready for the discussion the next day.  This idea of, hopeful, student prep can be seen in any use of discussion within the classroom. Teachers will always hope that students will have read and already begun to think deeply about the reading when using discussion within the classroom. But there is no guarantee that students will be as prepared as we, the teachers, want them to be.  

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