If you’ve ever tried to play “the quiet game” with a room full of children, you know it’s only a matter of time before the explosion of noise. By the time we learn to speak, we talk from the moment we wake up until we send our last texts of the day from the bedside table. Communication is our oxygen. So why not feature conversation in the classroom?

Classes that incorporate discussion as a way of learning (especially for middle schoolers and high schoolers) capitalize on students’ innate ability: talking.  Middle schoolers, especially, seem to have a gift of arguing their point of view (driven by passion for the subject or passion to be right) and their prime medium for life is conversation. Having classes like Omnibus (a core piece of Classical Christian education) that are discussion-driven help students formulate ideas, phrase their questions well, and fuse perspectives that point to Christ. Frequent class discussion gives students an opportunity to show what they’ve learned from their reading by connecting an event or an idea to current culture and Scripture.

Discussion helps 7th and 8th graders in three ways: they learn to formulate their ideas about the world and the work they’re studying; they learn to phrase their thoughts in a Christ-centered, academic environment where they can practice the art of conversation; they learn to fuse perspectives from many different sources to learn more about the world as God made it.

Formulate

Incorporating discussion into the classroom gives students a platform to begin to think about ideas and how to work through them. Perhaps you don’t know what your 7th grader thinks about the way we see idolatry in our culture and how we should respond as Christians. If you ask, I bet you’ll get a fascinating answer. We’re always surprised about how much children tune in and notice things about the world. Discussing is the other side of the continuous “Why?” Now they can begin to answer some of those "why?" questions for themselves…

Phrase

Discussion is a great way to practice the art of conversation in the classroom. So many elements of what makes an edifying class discussion are things to practice in order to be a Christian conversationalist: think before you speak, be bold and give your opinion, create space to listen to those in conversation with you (otherwise you could be in danger of repeating someone else’s contribution). And remember that your words aren’t about helping us see how much you know. Our words should always point back to God and His goodness.

Fuse

When encouraged to discuss the bigger picture in the classroom, students can see perspectives from the authors of our books, from current culture, and from Scripture to consider questions like “How do we define love?” and “How should we think about authority?” The most exciting class discussions are the ones in which students get to see those connections—especially when the subjects seem to be random and unconnected. (What are the common threads between fast food, Robin Hood, and Jesus’ first miracle?) All good conversations bring together unlikely themes when we, as Christians, look at the world under the Lordship of Christ.

We serve the Word made flesh who came to live among us. Words are as spiritual as they are functional, and glorifying God with our words extends to a classroom of 8th graders discussing Scripture and Shakespeare. Discussion in the classroom encourages students who are growing daily as thoughtful men and women, working in the world to the glory of God. With this purpose, what better thing to practice than what to say and how to say it?

Would you like your middle schooler to learn in an environment that fosters passionate, joyful learning, vibrant discussion, and critical, Biblical thinking? We invite your family to visit us at Veritas, where your student can shadow their peers in the classroom and you can see first hand the palpable difference found in Classical Christian Education. Visit Veritas today!