You may have noticed in your social studies and English classes a shift from examination based learning to discussion based learning. Basically, this means fewer tests and more Socratic seminars. What a blessing!

Obviously, fewer tests mean less stress and in the world of high school academics, the less anxiety a class provides, the better for students. However, there are even more potential advantages to providing students with greater opportunities to discuss what they learned instead of putting them on the spot and telling them to fill in one of five circles on a sheet of paper.

For starters, the discussions that often develop in classes about books we’ve read or current policy issues in America are surprisingly in-depth; high school students have a lot to say. We’re opinionated and verbose and we want to talk to our classmates and it would be in teachers’ best interest to harness our natural talkativity for meaningful discussions.

At the same time, Socratic seminars and class discussions encourage some introverted students to expand their horizons. I unfortunately sometimes fall into the hole of just assuming that some of my classmates simply have nothing to say; but the truth is they often do. And sometimes, their comments totally revolutionize the discussion and the whole class starts to see things in a different way. It’s actually kind of exciting–if it sounds lame, you need to participate in more Socratic seminars. When everyone is given equal opportunities to contribute their opinions to a conversation, the whole classroom can benefit.

Conversation is a skill, but alas it is a skill that many adults lack. Some people like to point their fingers immediately at social media and cellphones, but I think the problem starts at school.

Skills must be sharpened, and isn’t it the fundamental job of public education to cultivate their students’ skills? Why is meaningful conversation ignored, then? The way I see it, we are expected to carry on more discussions in daily life than fill out multiple choice exams. So put those Scantron sheets away. Break out the chairs, put them in a circle, and start asking us questions. Chances are, you’ll be surprised at what we have to say.