Tuesdays with Morrie Seminar Reflections
During the course of reading and analyzing the memoir Tuesdays with Morrie, written by Mitch Albom in 1997, I, as well as my peers, were given a task to gather a plethora of questions, aphorisms, and observations from and pertaining to it, and we did not disappoint. The observations we were able to make were astute, creative, and even above grade level in some cases, but how could we have executed them? Well, a Socratic Seminar would be the answer. In fact, after the completion of the memoir, we were able to complete four seminars as well. In this blog, I will reflect on the Seminars in question, and discuss the strongpoints, weak-points, what could be improved in the future, for both myself and the group as a whole, and how they have contributed to my perception of the novel.
In one regard, the Socratic Seminars have made me realize the intersections between Morrie's aphorisms and where they can be useful in facets of everyday life. In our first Seminar, one of the very many topics discussed was "Why is happiness so hard to find?". Us as students were then given time to think about the answer to this complex question. A discussion about the items we take for granted, and how it can lead to a life of perpetual sadness then ensued. Prior to this, I hadn't been able to make such connections. I just read the aphorisms and applied it to the characters, not my life or current events, but the discussion really shaped the amount of connections I could make in the future.
In another regard, the Seminars were able to enhance my perception of Morrie and his struggle with ALS. While the memoir does cover Morrie's horrific illness quite a bit throughout, little information is given on the disease itself as opposed to how it has affected him. This then lead me into a trail of bemusement and wonder. Then the Socratic Seminars came along. Many of the students had shared more information on ALS with the group, such as its causes, symptoms, etc. This definitely assisted my progression in reading, as I was able to browse the memoir's contents with a newfound understanding of Morrie's suffrage.
When going into the Seminars, I had very high expectations of myself and my potential performance. I hoped to contribute a substantial amount of information to the discussion, while also bringing forth new points of view. I wanted to proceed with a mix of quantity and quality, and I believe that I had not disappointed. I always tried to grasp a moment to speak, (without cutting a peer off of course), and I managed to do this quite a bit over the course of the Seminar. I also believe that my perspective was made abundantly clear, to a point where the students could relate to it. However, I wish I was able to bring more students into the conversation. Despite participation being outstanding for most, others were a bit more timid or hesitant to share, and I did not lessen this issue. My goal for the future is to be more inclusive of my peers, which can lead to a discussion of more substance.
While I do believe my participation was beneficial for the most part, the discussion would have been absolutely empty without the points of view from my peers. In fact, they were the main reason the Seminars were as successful as they were. The students were patient, polite, and they brought a surplus amount of astute observations and questions to the table any chance they got. I particularly found them sharing their personal experiences as a way for us to connect with the book on a greater scale. However, I do believe ideas were shared in an uneven ratio. For example, one student would contribute more ideas than anyone would know what to do with, while another stays as silent as a rock throughout the Seminar. In the future, I hope students who contribute too much can share their ideas briefly, while the ones who contribute too little can become a sensational source of information for the group.
In one regard, the Socratic Seminars have made me realize the intersections between Morrie's aphorisms and where they can be useful in facets of everyday life. In our first Seminar, one of the very many topics discussed was "Why is happiness so hard to find?". Us as students were then given time to think about the answer to this complex question. A discussion about the items we take for granted, and how it can lead to a life of perpetual sadness then ensued. Prior to this, I hadn't been able to make such connections. I just read the aphorisms and applied it to the characters, not my life or current events, but the discussion really shaped the amount of connections I could make in the future.
In another regard, the Seminars were able to enhance my perception of Morrie and his struggle with ALS. While the memoir does cover Morrie's horrific illness quite a bit throughout, little information is given on the disease itself as opposed to how it has affected him. This then lead me into a trail of bemusement and wonder. Then the Socratic Seminars came along. Many of the students had shared more information on ALS with the group, such as its causes, symptoms, etc. This definitely assisted my progression in reading, as I was able to browse the memoir's contents with a newfound understanding of Morrie's suffrage.
When going into the Seminars, I had very high expectations of myself and my potential performance. I hoped to contribute a substantial amount of information to the discussion, while also bringing forth new points of view. I wanted to proceed with a mix of quantity and quality, and I believe that I had not disappointed. I always tried to grasp a moment to speak, (without cutting a peer off of course), and I managed to do this quite a bit over the course of the Seminar. I also believe that my perspective was made abundantly clear, to a point where the students could relate to it. However, I wish I was able to bring more students into the conversation. Despite participation being outstanding for most, others were a bit more timid or hesitant to share, and I did not lessen this issue. My goal for the future is to be more inclusive of my peers, which can lead to a discussion of more substance.
While I do believe my participation was beneficial for the most part, the discussion would have been absolutely empty without the points of view from my peers. In fact, they were the main reason the Seminars were as successful as they were. The students were patient, polite, and they brought a surplus amount of astute observations and questions to the table any chance they got. I particularly found them sharing their personal experiences as a way for us to connect with the book on a greater scale. However, I do believe ideas were shared in an uneven ratio. For example, one student would contribute more ideas than anyone would know what to do with, while another stays as silent as a rock throughout the Seminar. In the future, I hope students who contribute too much can share their ideas briefly, while the ones who contribute too little can become a sensational source of information for the group.
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