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Scenario 1: It is the second month of school and the elementary students have discussed, voted upon and signed their studio promises and contract. Among other things, they have agreed not to distract one another during Core Skills time and never to speak sarcastically to one another. However, almost right away, Core Skills time becomes noisy and chaotic. Two or three students are frustrated by this, but their calls for order are at best humored only momentarily and at worst met by sarcastic remarks from other students. What is the best response from a Socratic Guide in this situation? What would you do?
Scenario 2: Toward the end of the first session, most students are proficient in setting goals for themselves during Core Skills time. However, you notice that a particular student who has a passion for writing has been neglecting to set goals in math. He is spending all of his time reading and writing. As a Socratic Guide, what would you do to help this learner?
Scenario 3: The Quest the students are working on calls for them to work in small groups based on their area of interest. One group of four is working on a nature magazine including articles, photographs, and a comic strip. Observing them during project time, it becomes apparent that the group contains two very strong personalities, one of whom tends to want her hands in everything, often taking over tasks allocated to other members of the group. The other strong personality is the critic, tending to be bossy but not inclined to do much work. Of the other two, one defers to the stronger personalities for the sake of peace, while the other simmers in quiet resentment but cannot seem to constructively voice her frustration. It is unclear, day to day, who is responsible for what or where exactly the project is going. As a Socratic Guide, should you intervene? If so, how? If not, why?
Scenario 4: It’s Thursday with 10 minutes left in Coding and Robotics Quest time. No one in the studio is able to make their robot follow a line, which was the challenge presented to them on Tuesday. The ability for a robot to follow a line is needed for the final Public Exhibition next week and they are losing steam. Arrows are frustrated, giving up, and declaring to everyone that “this is impossible.” As a Socratic Guide and the facilitator of this Quest, what do you do?
Scenario 5: It’s the middle of the year. Arrows and parents are familiar with their contracts, and the Arrows are learning independence and getting into flow with their work. You notice that one Arrow is often wandering around. She looks lost and often interrupts her friends to talk to them during work time. During a discussion about her goals, she reveals to you that her mom is setting her goals for her before she gets to school each day and that she doesn’t want to work on the things her mom wants her to. She says she’s excited to keep going in her math work but her mom insists she read a few classic novels first. She tells you she’s bored with the books and doesn’t want to be at school. As a Socratic Guide, should you intervene? If so, how? If not, why?
Scenario 6: It’s an hour into Writers’ Workshop in the 3rd week. You know many Arrows are not on track to finish this Writers’ Workshop before the end of the session when they’ll try to earn their badges, and the studio is chaotic. It’s been raining hard for two days and the energy is not productive. Is this scenario okay? What do the Arrows need most and what would you do as their Socratic Guide?
Scenario 7: After five years of going through the Writing Process, with the work being held to peers for review, you receive a nearly incoherent email, full of major mistakes from an older Arrow. Technically, his writing had been improving, as you saw examples of his capability, but as you dig deeper, you find that what he is producing and publishing at the end of a Writers’ Workshop is of very low quality and below his capabilities. What is the first thing you do, if anything?
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