Harkness/Seminar Discussions

Harkness/seminar-style discussions are an excellent means of improving student engagement, checking for understanding, and boosting long-term retention. Students are required to ask questions, cite texts to support comments, make connections to previous learning and engage one another in meaningful discussion to support deep understanding and, ultimately, truth.

This training is designed to give teachers the tools they need to implement successful seminar discussions in their classrooms right away.  

The training can be either one or two days, depending on the desires of the school, and will cover the following:

• why Harkness discussions are such a valuable method

• what teachers need to do to be sure that students know how to prepare for and how to participate in excellent discussions

• how teachers can efficiently and fairly grade discussions

• how teachers can give specific feedback to students 

• how teachers can help students take more responsibility for their own preparation and participation

• what to do with reluctant participants, and other frequent roadblocks to implementing discussions

Schools that have had this training:

• Byne Christian School, Albany, GA

• Bayshore Christian School, Fairhope, AL

• Trinity Christian School, Kailua, HI

• Trinity Christian School, Opelika, AL

• Regents Academy, VA

• Geneva School, TX

• Trinity Academy, NC