At a recent professional development workshop, I was asked by one of the teachers, “I do discussions in my classroom. How is this different from the type of discussions that I’m already doing? What makes Shared Inquiry™ in Junior Great Books® different from the other discussion programs I’ve used with my students in the past?” This was a great question and one we could spend a lot of time exploring.

Following the usual flow of the Shared Inquiry Essentials course, I conducted a demonstration of the Shared Inquiry sequence of activities using the story “White Wave,” a Chinese folktale about a solitary farmer with a mysterious benefactor. The demonstration included:

  • Session 1
    • Prereading question discussion
    • First reading (read-aloud of the selection)
    • Sharing questions
  • Session 2
    • Second reading with note-taking activity
  • Session 3
    • Shared Inquiry discussion

Teri Laliberte

Great Books Assistant Director of Training & Development Teri Laliberte.

Five Guidelines

I asked the teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches who were attending to note the places where they saw some key differences between Shared Inquiry and other types of classroom discussions. Before starting, I presented the guidelines for Shared Inquiry discussions in Junior Great Books. These guidelines are:

  • Read or listen to the text twice before the discussion.
  • Discuss only the text everyone has read.
  • Support ideas with evidence from the text.
  • Listen to other participants and respond directly.
  • Expect the leader to only ask questions.

After reviewing these guidelines, I presented the focus question to the group and gave them time to think about their answers and write down their thoughts and evidence before the discussion began. We then had a 30- to 45-minute Shared Inquiry discussion about the prepared text. During the discussion, participants were encouraged to clarify, deepen, and provide evidence for their ideas while also considering others’ perspectives. My role as the leader was limited to asking questions. The discussion started with a genuine question about the text, and through the readings, participants explored their ideas more fully, listened to their colleagues, and were invited to change their minds and consider opposing viewpoints.

The Five Guidelines for Shared Inquiry Discussion.

Participant Feedback

After the discussion, I asked the participants how this approach differed from other discussion programs they had used. Here are some of their observations—along with insights from the Foundation—that highlight the academic rigor and social and emotional growth that Shared Inquiry can bring to the classroom and students:

  • The discussion has a designated leader who ensures that the guidelines are followed, keeps everyone on task and focused on the text, and provides space for interpretation without pushing a particular idea or interpretation.
  • A Shared Inquiry discussion allows students to delve deeply into a text by maintaining a narrow focus on it rather than using it as a springboard to other tangential topics.
  • Students are encouraged to share and develop their ideas, compare them with classmates’ ideas, and weigh the evidence provided to decide if it is sufficient to sway their thinking.
  • Although a Shared Inquiry discussion can include multiple texts, the equity provided by Shared Inquiry ensures that all participants are familiar with the texts being discussed, preventing any one person from derailing or dominating the discussion.

After reviewing these guidelines, I presented the focus question to the group and gave them time to think about their answers and write down their thoughts and evidence before the discussion began. We then had a 30- to 45-minute Shared Inquiry discussion about the prepared text. During the discussion, participants were encouraged to clarify, deepen, and provide evidence for their ideas while also considering others’ perspectives. My role as the leader was limited to asking questions. The discussion started with a genuine question about the text, and through the readings, participants explored their ideas more fully, listened to their colleagues, and were invited to change their minds and consider opposing viewpoints.

Genuine and Authentic Curiosity

Some differences were more subtle. The genuine and authentic curiosity of both the leader and participants allowed for the exploration of ideas in a space that didn’t feel like the teacher or leader was searching for a correct answer. The teachers felt free to explore their ideas and change their minds. It wasn’t a competition for the floor for each student to present their thoughts and then defend them, it was more collaborative. We all knew that the goal wasn’t for everyone to come to ONE answer, and we saw, through the discussion, that the text did support multiple valid interpretations.

I used a metaphor from a respected colleague to explain this concept. “When you have a discussion and collect each person’s idea, it’s like each idea is its own little self-contained globe—let’s call it a grape. When all you do in discussion is ask people to share their ideas, you gather these grapes and do nothing more with them, you end up with a bowl of grapes. But in Shared Inquiry, you press these grapes against each other, pushing them against the sides of the bowl, letting the juices and ideas ferment, mix, and combine. So, at the end of the discussion, you have a beautiful glass of wine.”

Participants learning about Shared Inquiry Essentials at a recent workshop in Anchorage, AK.

At the end of the workshop, I asked the teacher if she saw the difference. She responded affirmatively, noting that while other types of discussions have their place in the classroom, the depth of Shared Inquiry benefits students by developing critical thinking, close reading, and civil discourse skills. She observed that the structure of Shared Inquiry fosters better skills in reading, listening, communication, and writing, as well as empathy, compassion, and community.

Learn More About Shared Inquiry and Professional Learning Opportunities

Begin your Shared Inquiry journey, or refer a colleague, by attending a free 30-minute information session on the method. Participants can register here. Or, register for our Shared Inquiry Essentials course, available online or on-demand. We are scheduling new courses throughout the year. To learn about Junior Great Books classroom materials or discuss any aspect of our program in-depth, please get in touch with your Great Books partnership manager. We are eager to help!