Today, students in my homeroom class participated in their first Socratic seminar, diving deeper into the novel, Eleven, by Tom Rodgers. Students explored thoughts and ideas that extended their thinking beyond and about the text (inferences, predictions, what-if scenarios and author's craft). They arrived well-prepared and were active participants, bringing relevance and meaning to this gripping novel about the tragedy of September 11, 2001, narrated from the perspective of an 11 year-old boy. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to build a culture of student-led inquiry and discussion, not to mention deepening their understanding of the events of this tragic day. We have almost finished reading this book and what I love most about it (beside the fact that it inspires some pretty spectacular literature discussions) is that it reminds all of us that the truly terrible things that happen should never be eclipsed by the smaller, wonderful things, and that kindness is truly an amazing gift that we can give to one another.
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