The Socratic Method

I read something interesting on the web last night. This fellow used the Socratic Method to teach binary arithmetic to 3rd graders. He recounts the experience that he had and how he seemed to successfully engage the interest of the third graders in learning what I would say is fairly challenging material.

Given the fact that the best way to teach a subject is through this process of discovery because the student learns not only the subject matter, but also how to apply the same process to other subjects, why can’t we apply this same approach in our church classes? I’ve been thinking about this all day (probably because that’s really the only place where I employ any teaching skills) and I’ve had a hard time seeing how it could be integrated with our current teaching methods.

As a missionary this approach would be feasible as you are in a discussion type enviornment and it is extremely easy to devote the attention necessary to bring the “pupil” to where they can make their own assumptions and hypotheses. However in a sunday-school atmosphere, there are too many disparate variables that you have to account for in planning a lesson that would make it either too difficult, or not edifying for the class as a whole. Some people would catch the implications of a certain question immediately and understand what the end result should be, while others in the class might need to be guided slowly or take baby steps along the way…

Now, I’m really just writing this as I go along, because, perhaps that is best way to have a lesson. Let those that are farther ahead attempt to explain it to those that haven’t grasped the concepts yet?.. Regardless I feel that it is an interesting idea and it would be worth it to study/debate this more in depth…