Welcome to LearnLawBetter. Wondering what the Socratic method is all
about? Curious as to why professors use it? Stay to the end, and learn the different ways
it is used and how to survive when your professor calls on you. Don’t forget to hit the like button if you
enjoy this episode, and click the subscribe button and bell if you don’t want to miss
any future episodes. Hi, this is Beau Baez, and 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 it, and it's fairly short. 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 the 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 role 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 is willing to learn. You'll be glad to hear that this approach
isn’t used much today. Approach #2 is the accountability approach. The professor starts asking questions to a dozens of 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, four, or five. 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're not going to do as 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 for 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: “Professor, I know the answer, but I just need a few more seconds to gather my thoughts.” Fourth, if you don’t understand the question,
ask the professor to rephrase. 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, 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 have never tried at
all. Remember, this is a learning experience. You should learn not only from your successes,
but also from your failures. If you enjoyed this material, hit the like
button. Also, to avoid missing any future episodes,
hit the subscribe and bell buttons. For more resources to help you get ahead,
including my blog and newsletter, check out LearnLawBetter.com. Thanks for watching.
