the socratic method [0516.1999]

posted to mindlist

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about NLP, and we got on the subject of teaching. Whether I'm working with kids or teaching adults something about computers, I tend to use the socratic method. That is, I ask questions that lead the person to an answer.

It just struck me that this is a very NLP-ish thing to do. After all, if we accept the notion that people have all the resources they need, we don't have to TELL them anything.. just ask the right question, and they come up with the answers themselves.

Sometimes it seems that I never put an idea in anyone's head when I'm teaching. I just help them find it. It's already there.