By: Scott Winter
A friend of mine once shared with me the word MAIEUTIC to describe Socrates’ method of inquiry. In looking deeper into the Greek origin of the word, I learned that maieutic also means, of/or pertaining to midwifery.
What a concept - facilitation as midwifery. A midwife has the ability to create a safe space for life to begin AND also recognize that the result of her work allows for the mother to take her baby home. The midwife also realizes that ‘it’s not her baby.’
What if, as facilitators or teachers, we let go of trying to make the lesson(s) ‘our baby’ and instead created the space for students to give birth to new ideas? Not only will the ideas be born from the students, but the students can also take these ideas out in the world to nurture and grow.
As a facilitator or teacher, what kind of space do you create for students? Is it safe for ideas to be shared and explored? How are you drawing out the lessons? What are your students leaving with at the end of each day, unit or structured experience? Is the learning their baby? Let us know…
Keywords: socrates, facilitation, debrief, leadership, teaching, coaching
Last 5 posts in Facilitation and Leadership
- Learn Your Lesson (4 Steps) - November 22nd, 2006
- September Edutopia Articles - September 20th, 2006
- Explore, Dream, Discover - September 18th, 2006
- What's in a question? - August 30th, 2006
- Three things every leader should remember - August 29th, 2006
What I love most about this idea is that the learning truly comes from the students own observations, experiences and reflection rather than being told what they were supposed to discover. I am a new father of a three-month old and when I see him struggling trying to get his hands around something, or laying on his stomache during “tummy time” grunting and moving in place I just want to pick him up and help. In these moments I have to pause. I realize he needs to try it for himself first (until the crying starts of course…I am such a softy). The midwife model is simple and makes perfect sense. Think about this, when does someone learn and retain more, when they are told or when they discover it for themselves?
Left by Mike on September 8th, 2006