If you have no idea what “The Seminar” is, you should read it first here.

This article was definitely a great read, and since tthere’s no need for it to be an essay or anything of the sort, I’ll mostly just dump my thoughts here in no particular order.

First, I really like the idea of being in class as a “discussion”. I think with the rise of the internet, it really exaggerated for me the idea that the classroom is a place for learning, not knowing. Of course it takes work to know the facts, to memorize every single thing thrown to us in class. But it’s important to know that this is becoming less and less the “norm” when it comes to living in this 21st century world. Like you mentioned in our previous lesson, we are now in a VUCA world— where what we know now might be outdated in just a few years.

I’m also actually a bit socially anxious. I tend to be quiet, although it doesn’t mean I’m unable to hold myself in a conversation. My ADHD makes me overthink social situations a lot, but when I’m in the moment, I tend to be able to talk comfortably when needed. It just takes a lot of conscious effort for me to go up to someone, although my ADHD is only moderate.

That’s why I appreciated the authors incorporating quiet people into discussions, because for some people like me, it takes some time to get comfortable in a group. Only when I feel safe and comfortable enough to share my thoughts will I actually decide to contribute to the discussion proactively.

There’s also this idea of everyone having something to contribute to the discussion, and I think this is good. But it’s honestly also something that’s a bit gray for me. What if some people just prefer to listen?

It’s something that definitely isn’t a “science”, where we know how to make discussions the most optimal for everyone, or have every single discussion result in the best possible outcomes. I discovered this recently when I’ve had the experience of having to interact in groups with people I don’t know. Some groups were the typical “let’s plan everything out!” type, while others were just most of the group being quiet, forcing me to lead a discussion of some kind. I realized that when in a group, you kind of have to adjust to the dynamics of how the group works. Yes, it would be nice if every single group I had somehow thought the exact same way as me, and worked the way I liked to. Unfortunately, this is the reality.

The part which mentions that people tend to take ideas as “right” and “wrong” is also something that stuck out to me. It’s something that I see more polarized in online discussions, but in real life, people seem to be more accepting of taking others’ ideas into consideration. Regardless, it definitely manifests itself. As an example, I see it with how students tend to discuss how professors would react to their work (i.e. “Is this what Sir meant?”, or “What if Ma’am doesn’t agree with it?”, or “So what do you think our prof would like more?”).

Another thing I found interesting were the four types of seminars. Recitations and group works were definitely more of the former two lowest types. It felt like almost a competition, even when it wasn’t intended to be. It would be nice if more classrooms opened up opportunities for collaborative work.

As a future educator, I wish to be able to make spaces where my students can interact with one another in the kind of environment that the essay discusses; one where instead of proving, showcasing, and memorizing, we create, synthesize, and cherish each other.