Library
Welcome to the Library! Here you will find useful links to books, handouts, and articles associated with student-centered teaching practices. Just click on the source to obtain a download or more information.
Books
Socratic Dialogue Bibliography
An evolving bibliography for those who wish to do further research on the subject of Socratic Practice and other student-centered teaching methodologies.
The Habit of Thought, by Michael Strong
This is the classic work on Socratic Practice. I know of no other book that is more useful for one’s teaching practice.
Socratic Circles, by Matt Copeland
The closest thing to a step-by-step guide to introducing your students to Socratic seminars. This is a user’s manual with many useful techniques and example dialogues that illustrate the techniques. Together with Strong’s book, you need little else to begin.
Socratic Practice Seminar Handouts
This description of the UFM graduate was posed as a goal of the November Socratic Practice Seminar I Class.
Here is a list of quotations that were encountered during the UFM Socratic Practice Seminars. Included is a list of questions to think about with reference to the quote.
Strong’s Socratic Practice Rubric
The Socratic Practice Ready for Work/ Class Participation Rubric from The Habit of Thought, by Michael Strong.
Lectures can be an important and effective way of sharing information with your students. Here are some recommendations for incorporating dialogue into the lecture format and transforming a passive learning experience into one of engagement.
This is the infamous dependency quote from Dumbing Us Down, by John Taylor Gatto. An excellent exercise to introduce students both to the art of questioning and to the contradiction of “teaching dependency.”
Ground Rules for Dialogue
Here is a quick guide to facilitating the laying of ground rules in your classroom. I prefer a more organic approach, but if you don’t have much time for the evolution of culture, this is helpful advice.
UFM Follow-up Letters
Follow-up letter for UFM January Socratic Seminar Students. The letter contains the questions asked by students during the sessions.
UFM November Students (AM & PM)
Follow-up letter for UFM November Socratic Seminar Students. The letter contains the questions asked b y students during the sessions.
Woods High School Socratic Practice Rubric
For your interest, here is the current dialogue rubric as evolved by Woods High School junior students. Woods High School is part of School of the Woods in Houston, Texas, a fully accredited, private, Montessori school. Check back to this document in the future to see the evolving changes the students have made.
Articles
Creative Powers of a Free Civilization, by F. A. Hayek
The original and complete essay from Essays on Individuality, edited by Felix Morley. (This is not the essay found in Hayek’s Constitution of Liberty.)
Corn-Pone Opinions, by Mark Twain
A rare essay by Mark Twain calling our attention to the lack of critical thinking in society.
Kinds of Order in Society, by F. A. Hayek
This classic essay by Hayek describes a kind of social order that is so prevalent we scarcely notice it. Maria Montessori saw this order as the foundation of a well functioning classroom.
What is Enlightening?, by Immanuel Kant
Kant’s famous essay that challenges us to have “the courage to make use of one’s own understanding without guidance of another.”
The Habit of Thought, by James Rhem
A great review of Michael Strong’s book of the same title. This essay serves as a short but good introduction to Socratic Practice.
The Use of Knowledge in Society, by F. A. Hayek
Hayek’s revolutionary essay that shows how information is disseminated in a complex society. What can we learn about teaching if we look at this essay as a work of pedagogical theory?
Engagement, by Michael Strong
A personal account of the first three days of using Socratic Practice in an inner-city high school.