A seminar is a discussion where the participants have all read the thing and the teacher is not the source of answers. It is assessed in The Seminar, and it is the closest thing in school to how ideas actually get tested.
Before
- Read with marks, per Close Reading.
- Write two questions that cannot be answered yes or no. The best seminar questions begin “Why does…”, “What is the effect of…”, or “Which matters more…“.
- Choose two passages you will bring, with page numbers. Nobody waits while you find it.
During
| Move | Sounds like |
|---|---|
| Open with evidence | ”On page 84 he says… which suggests…” |
| Build | ”That connects to what Amir said about…” |
| Complicate | ”That works for chapter two, but what about the ending?” |
| Invite | ”Sara, you had a different reading of that scene.” |
| Steelman | ”The strongest version of that argument is…, and even then…” |
| Concede | ”You are right, and it changes my claim to…” |
The last one is worth more than any of the others. A seminar where nobody concedes anything is four people practising a speech.
What lowers the quality of a seminar
- Talking to be counted. Repeating a point in new words is not contribution.
- The plot summary. Everybody read it.
- The unanswerable pivot — “well, that is just your opinion” — which ends the argument rather than advancing it.
- Silence used as a weapon. If you have nothing, ask a real question.
If you find speaking difficult
Prepare a specific first sentence and use it in the first three minutes. Speaking early is far easier than speaking after twenty minutes of listening, and it is the trick every experienced seminar participant uses.
Curriculum connection
A1.5
develop and explain interpretations of oral texts, including increasingly complex texts, using evidence from the text and the oral and visual cues used in it to support their interpretations (e.g., explain how the narrator’s tone in the voice-over influenced their interpretation of the visuals in a movie trailer; explain similarities and differences between the deliveries of a monologue in the stage and film productions of a play)
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A2.2
demonstrate an understanding of a variety of interpersonal speaking strategies and adapt them to suit the purpose, situation, and audience, exhibiting sensitivity to cultural differences (e.g., adapt speech according to the role/ responsibility assumed in a reading-circle discussion; negotiate consensus, when appropriate, by identifying the commonalities among the various points of view; use language and forms of address that are appropriate for the level of formality of the situation)
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A3.1
describe a variety of strategies they used before, during, and after listening and speaking; explain which ones they found most helpful; and identify steps they can take to improve their oral communication skills (e.g., explain how they used visual and audio aids to clarify ideas in a small-group presentation; discuss what they find most difficult about presenting orally in class, and list strategies that might make it easier)
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A1.3
select and use appropriate listening comprehension strategies before, during, and after listening to understand oral texts, including increasingly complex texts (e.g., make jot notes during a class discussion about character development; discuss, in a small group, other classmates’ ideas about a controversial issue in order to understand divergent opinions)
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A1.6
extend understanding of oral texts, including increasingly complex texts, by making connections between the ideas in them and personal knowledge, experience, and insights; other texts; and the world around them (e.g., compare their own delivery of a Shakespearean monologue with deliveries by their classmates or in professional productions; use role play and drama to explore ideas, emotions, and issues presented in oral texts; listen to a professionally recorded play and then explain how a character’s struggle resonated with a personal experience)
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A1.8
identify and analyse the perspectives and/or biases evident in oral texts, including increasingly complex texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power (e.g., listen to and then discuss mock interviews for a variety of job types; assess “testimonial” commercials; analyse the language used in role plays)
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