As students enter Mr. Vazquez’ American History classroom, they take their seats – not at desks in rows, but around a huge oak oval table.  Their chattiness winds down as they take out their reading from the previous night, along with their notes and written reflections.  After an opening prayer, they divide into groups of four and launch into discussions about the main question at hand: whether or not U.S. President Andrew Jackson was an effective leader.

The discussions take off.  Students seem well-prepared, and you overhear a lively mixture of points being made, responses offered, and questions asked.  “The difference between those two was…” “It might have been different back then.”  “I agree.”  “I think that it was a mixture of both.”  “The question was hard for me because…” “What do you think?”  “He was successful, but what he accomplished wasn’t good.”  “Define good!”  

Eventually, Mr. Vazquez asks the class to “open up,” meaning to return to the table for an all-class conversation.  He reminds the students to share not only their own points but also important ideas that had been raised by their peers.  Students begin highlighting key ideas from their groups’ conversations, which seeds additional discussion.  During the exchange, one student asks if the appropriate measure of a leader’s effectiveness is their success in getting things accomplished, or the morality of the things they accomplish.  “You just landed a bomb there,” Mr. V. remarks with a smile, as the discussion continues around this important question.

This is a glimpse into an actual class session at SSCA conducted using the Harkness Method, an approach employed by Mr. Vazquez and Mrs. Atwater for all high school history and English classes at the school.  Most class sessions follow a similar pattern: students come to class prepared with notes from a reading; they engage in small-group discussion around a topic, making specific reference to evidence from the text; they compare and synthesize their ideas around the table as a full group; and, finally, with some summary comments, the teacher introduces the next topic and assigns another reading for that night.

Developed in the 1930s at Phillips Exeter Academy, the Harkness Method remains a highly regarded strategy among independent preparatory schools for cultivating deep learning, careful listening, critical thinking, and fruitful collaboration.  A recent issue of Leading Insights, the education research monograph series published by the Association of Christian Schools International, highlights the currency of the Harkness Method, not only as “a form of student-driven pedagogy that deeply engage[s] students in their own learning,” but also as “an approach to spiritual formation and biblical wordview development that gives students the opportunity to think deeply, gain wisdom, retain knowledge, form a measured mind, and care for one another.”

“One huge positive of the Harkness Method,” reflects Mr. Vazquez, “is that it’s much more student-driven than teacher-directed.  I make lesson plans, but the lesson itself is student-focused, so students are much more engaged in the process.”

This level of responsibility can be intimidating to students at first; but, as Mrs. Atwater points out, helping students develop the skills to succeed around the Harkness Table is part of the point.  Ultimately, students become more confident in asking questions, marshalling evidence, and supporting their ideas.  “A big part of my class is letting students share ideas and get feedback from other students,” she explains.  “What points are weak?  What counterarguments am I forgetting?  Where can I add more evidence?  How does my argument line up with the Bible?  This collaboration helps students create persuasive arguments in college and in their careers.”

The objective, Mr. Vazquez points out, is not to prove others wrong – but to arrive together at a deeper understanding of a complex issue.  “This method is more collaborative; students support each other.  Schools by nature can be competitive places – this is a different way.”

The soft skills developed in the process are of life-long value.  An SSCA alumnus and industrial design engineer reflected, “Engineering is more collaborative than most people realize.  As a team, we need to articulate and support our own ideas, carefully consider other possibilities, and arrive at the very best solution.  I came to this work with those skills already developed around the Harkness table at SSCA.”

“As Christians,” Mr. Vazquez reflects, “we are called to think deeply about important issues, and to function as part of a collaborative community.  The Harkness Method encourages that way of thinking and behaving.  There is a spiritual element to this.”

Notes: Smith, Justin and Kim Fullerton.  “At the Intersection of Faith and Learning: The Harkness Approach.”  Leading Insights, 2023, p. 105.