Introducing the AVID Mini Socratic Seminar resource, "Roadblocks to Good Grades." This digital product is designed to help students identify and overcome common obstacles to academic success. Whether it's struggling with time management, feeling disengaged in class, lacking academic support, or feeling unfamiliar with content and skills, this Mini Socratic Seminar has something for everyone.

Using this resource, students will be able to choose a table where one of the resource category posters is displayed that they relate to the most. Once seated, they will engage in a meaningful dialogue with their peers using a team leader to facilitate the conversation. The discussions will be based on a set of questions provided in a Google Slides presentation.

Through this interactive seminar, students will be able to share their experiences, gain new insights, and discover practical strategies for overcoming the roadblocks that stand in the way of their academic success.

What's Included:

• definition slide
• purpose slide
• advantages slide
• preparation slide
• Mini Seminar directions slide
• 2 slides explaining roles and responsibilities
• slide for management tips
• set-up slide
• Essential question slide
• 10 Socratic Seminar guiding questions for roadblocks to good grades
• 4 Socratic Seminar Group signs
• Editable templates

Category Group Signs Included:

1. Procrastination, Organization, Study Habits, or Time Management – This area is for students who might have difficulties sitting down to study or even knowing what to study.

2. Disengaged in Delivery – This area is for students who might really dislike a class or find it uninteresting

3. Lack of Academic Support – This area is for students who might not have support structures at home to provide additional support in preparing for tests or finishing homework

4. Not Familiar with Content/Lacking Skills – This area is for students who might be in a course that requires them to write, read, or do computations that go beyond their skillset.)

Definition:
A Mini Socratic Seminar is a scholarly discussion of an essential question in which student opinions are shared and refined through dialogue with other students in small groups. In this mini format, the teacher or seminar leader facilitates the discussion for the small groups.

Seminar Directions:

• Students choose a group based on the category that best fits them.
• The teacher poses the essential question.
• Students respond to the question through note-taking.
• The teacher chooses a Socratic Seminar leader for each group.
• The leader facilitates the seminar discussion by guiding group members to a deeper and more clarified consideration of the ideas, respect for varying points of view, and adherence to and respect for the seminar process.
• Students may pose new questions when the discussion is exhausted. New questions posed must relate to students’ ideas and contributions in response to the initial essential question.
• Or leaders use the questions in the Google Slides to guide groups.
• Students write a summary by answering the EQ in their notes after the discussion.

Click HERE to see our other AVID resources. We also have several great AVID bundle options available down below!

AVID Mega Growing Bundle

AVID Teambuilding Bundle

AVID Writing Bundle