The Socratic Method is a teaching method where the teacher gets students to answer questions in class. Learn how it works and how to approach this type of class.

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Today I want to discuss the Socratic method. The method is named after Socrates, the Greek Philosopher who lived in Athens in the 5th Century B.C. Though Socrates never wrote anything, his student Plato captured his teachings in a series of books we call the dialogues. In the dialogues, Socrates asks questions to others in the story, trying to get the other person to get to the truth of some issue. His most famous dialogue is called Phaedo, where Socrates asks questions to his students on the immortality of the soul. It’s a wonderful short book if you’ve never read a dialogue before.

The Socratic method is a great teaching tool because it helps keep students engaged, which is in stark contrast to the traditional lecture. Some questions are designed to elicit lower level thinking answers. For example: “in what year did the American revolution begin?” A simple 1776 is all that is needed. But the Socratic method, used by a seasoned professor, is used to engage higher level thinking, as when the professor asks “why did the American colonies revolt in 1776.”

Now let’s examine how professors use it in the classroom. Approach #1 is the boot camp approach. The professor’s sole goal is to break the student by asking question after question until the student can’t answer a question. This establishes the professor’s dominance, and humbles the student so that the student will be willing to learn. You will be glad to hear that this approach isn’t used much today.

Approach #2 is the accountability approach. The professor asks questions to a few dozen students during a class session, but most of these questions require very little thought. The professor does this to ensure that students read the material.

Approach #3 is the thinking approach, and most closely resembles how Socrates interacted with others. During a class session, the professor will ask questions to a few students, usually no more than three or four. Each student will answer questions for 15 to 20 minutes, as the professor tries to get the student to explain the assigned material. For example, the professor may ask: “Mr. Smith, why do you believe that the court ruled in favor of the defendant?” The professor will also ask hypothetical questions, which requires the student to move beyond the assigned reading. For example: “Mr. Smith, that is a correct understanding of the material. Now, let’ change the facts. Assume that the victim was holding a gun instead of a baseball. How does that change your answer?”

Let’s now look at how you can survive and thrive in this type of environment. One, prepare for class. If you didn’t read or only skimmed the reading, you won’t do well. Two, as the professor asks questions of others, pretend the professor is asking you the question. This means you should answer the question in your mind, and jot down a few notes. If you don’t do this, you won’t engage with the material and miss the main benefit of the Socratic method. Third, look at the professor when answering the question.

Often, the answers are no where to be found in your notes or reading, so don’t look at them. Stop, think, and answer. If it’s taking you some time to think of the words you want to use, it’s okay to tell the professor something like this: “I know the answer, but I just need a few seconds to gather my thoughts.” Fourth, if you don’t understand the question, ask the professor to rephrase it. Fifth, try to answer the question. This method is not about giving a perfect answer. In fact, by trying you very well could get to the right answer, and if you don’t you at least tried. Also, a skilled professor will help you get to an answer. What I tell my students is that I would rather see them try and get it completely wrong, rather than for them to never have tried at all. Remember, this is a learning experience. You should learn not only from your successes, but also from your failures.

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