Much is often made in talking about St. John’s College of the importance of text, reading and writing. And it’s right for us to make so much of those things! Great Books, and the process of reading and analyzing them are, after all, the core of what we do here. The value of discussion at St. John’s, however, cannot be overstated. What makes the work we do so different from the textbooks and quizzes of other colleges is that we collaborate, rather than just showing up to class together.

We allow no digital technology (unless needed for accessibility) in our classrooms, so there are no class discussion forums, Google Classrooms, or typed conversations in our coursework. The only way to truly embrace the dialogue that is so fundamental to the St. John’s classroom is through verbal, real-time discussion (ideally face-to-face and in-person, though we understand some world events have meant this is not always possible). Some of the best advice I can give our future students is to cultivate their discussion skills.

To start, focus on gaining confidence in speaking in front of others, in the semi-public context of the classroom. (I say semi-public to distinguish it from, for instance, giving a speech in front of a crowd, or going on stage.) St. John’s attracts a wide variety of students, some of whom may not be particularly comfortable in social settings. This can lead some of these people not to feel confident speaking in front of others, or to fear that their ideas will get them dismissed as “strange”.

Practice makes perfect – as in all things – when it comes to confidence. You’ll be bound to get plenty of practice just by being at St. John’s. In my time here, I’ve watched many a shy and awkward freshman, afraid to speak at all in their first seminar, blossom into thoughtful, assertive senior who know how to make their thoughts known clearly and confidently, to deliver their own opinions while respecting even those of others that they disagree with.

Many future (and current) Johnnies have done debate team or similar electives. Some may consider this the perfect practice for the discussion-based classes that lie ahead of them. It is true that debate team skills translate well to confidence in speaking in front of others. Almost too well, however. This can be a double-edged sword when it comes to class discussions.

“Debate” is a term we don’t much like to use here at St. John’s, especially in reference to the conversations we have in class. When we discuss the texts we read, whether we disagree or not, the conversation that follows still shouldn’t be a “debate”. This word carries connotations of a situation where there is a winner and a loser. Nobody should win or lose a conversation in a St. John’s classroom. This is one of the skills some of our students find hardest to learn: how to disagree with another’s opinion, put forth their own, and yet keep their dialogue and perspectives open and respectful.

The essence of St. John’s discussion is one of cooperation. We aim to work together with our peers and classmates to gain a deeper understanding of the text, not to prove ourselves in some way better than our classmates.

This kind of collaborative learning requires vulnerability. You must come to class willing to show the flaws in your own understanding of a topic. You must be willing to be proven wrong or share doubts and questions about what you didn’t understand, in the hope that one of your peers has an answer.

While discussion is much a core of the St. John’s curriculum as reading and books are, it has, until now, been less discussed and less emphasized. Perhaps this is because we fear that it will turn away the quieter students that could most benefit from our educational style.

We often describe our style of classes at St. John’s as Socratic seminars. This is not a St. John’s exclusive term, of course, it’s an educational style used in many different places. An easy definition of a Socratic seminar – if you could use a refresher on the term – is that it is a style of discussion that requires four elements: 1) the text being considered, 2) the questions raised, 3) the participants, and 4) the seminar leader. These are also the central elements of a St. John’s class. Though, at St. John’s, the seminar leader, in our case the tutor, takes a looser and more background role. Students at St. John’s are expected – after the first part of their freshman year – to be able to run the discussion largely for and amongst themselves, with minimal, hands-off guidance from tutors to keep the conversation civil and on track should it wander. Largely, though, the core of our educational style is in the first three elements above: the questions, the text, and the participants. With this being the style of all our classes at St. John’s, it becomes clear why discussion skills are so important to us!

In conclusion, discussion is one of the keys to education at St. John’s, yet it is one of the most forgotten about in the way we present and market ourselves. It is a skill that can be learned and improved by anyone who comes through our doors. And it is the core of our new Discussion Based Application.

The Discussion Based Application, which we have launched for the first time this year, allows students who prefer discussion over written work to replace the usual application essay for St. John’s with an interview with a tutor and participation in our Summer Academy or one of our online seminar offerings. This way, students who excel in sustained, serious conversation have the option to show this skill in their application to St. John’s. Students who choose this option also receive their admissions decisions faster, which makes it a great option for those who think that they are good at expressing themselves verbally!