ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the use of Socratic circles within English language arts at the middle school and high school level, the pedagogy can be applied to almost any content area and can be adapted to any age group. Understanding that Socratic circles have a viable role in the general school curriculum is an important first step, but understanding where teachers can implement dialogue in a particular class or with a particular group of students is equally important. Adler’s Three Columns of Learning suggest a manner and method in which Socratic circles can be added to the curriculum of any class. Scheduling Socratic circles in advance, with text students can relate to their own lives, and that mirrors or expands upon what the class is currently learning are all critical to their success. An important use of Socratic circles within the curriculum is in creating cross-curricular learning opportunities that tie material and objectives from multiple classes together into one dialogue.
