“How do we build a culture of growth and success?”
This was the topic of a Socratic seminar led by South Orangetown Middle School World Language teacher Adolfo Godinez in Spanish 1 classes this week. The session featured student discussion guided by a series of open-ended questions, such as “Did you do everything you could to get your grade you wanted it to be?,” “What can you do better to be more successful in this class?” and “What can I do better to help you be successful in this class?”
“Since Spanish 1 is the first high school level course for many seventh graders, the Socratic seminar provides a great framework for students to collectively reflect on their first semester. They are accountable to each other in terms of leading this large group conversation,” Godinez explained. “The goal is for them to see how capable they are of being great critical thinkers and learners–and to support them in creating a community that takes ownership of their work.”