FACULTY VOICES: UNDERSTANDING HARKNESS

Lawrenceville introduced the Harkness system in 1936, when then Head Master Allan Vanderhoef Heely accepted a $5 million gift from Edward S. Harkness to implement an innovative “conference method” of instruction, with 12 students and a teacher at an oval table. Lawrenceville was instantly transformed by Heely’s vision and Harkness’s largesse. But the Harkness philosophy is about more than oval tables. We asked Pier Kooistra H’14 P’20, English teacher on the Robert S. and Christina Seix Dow Master-Teaching Chair in Harkness Learning, to share his wisdom and perspective as we explore this hallmark of a Lawrenceville education.

LAWRENCEVILLE HAS BEEN distinguished by a collaborative “Harkness” approach to learning for going on 90 years. While this is classically envisioned as an oval table where every voice carries value and weight, the practice of Harkness—of dialogical inquiry—is infused into our playing fields, our arts stages and studios, our Houses, and ourselves. Harkness is at the heart of our mission—“inspiring the best in each to seek the best for all.”

Harkness demands the best of each of us; it demands active engagement with the topic and with our peers. It demands each community member’s commitment to thorough, conscientious preparation. It requires active participation in a collective process of constructing understanding. And it depends upon students’ dedication to critical review of prior thinking, and an openness to revision.

Harkness is about setting students up to learn, think, and speak for themselves; however, learning and thinking by integrating input from beyond oneself requires practice. When we teachers pose questions, we don’t tell students what to say in response. We watch closely as students tackle problems. Then we feed back. By posing questions, watching closely, and encouraging students to pay attention to what they think and how they think, we engineer learning experiences that empower independent, critical thought. We get students to learn, think and speak for themselves through critical input from and for others.

As a collaborative mode of study, Harkness can shift configurations. Pairs for reciprocal feedback, trios for testing new thoughts, full class discussion once thoughts have been properly formulated. Students can do a lot of growth-inducing work conferring, constructing and critiquing at a big oval table, but operating exclusively in that format is not educationally optimal. For each student to get adequate practice, breaking away from a teacher-convened table is essential.

The Oxford dictionaries define collaborate as “to work jointly to produce something.” At its roots, this word means “to labor together.” Now, for our school to be truly productive, before Lawrentians meet in class to confer, first they must come together in purpose. Before we submit a topic to group examination, each team member must scrutinize that topic solo. Vigorous independent scholarship sets the stage for effective interdependent study. Each student should arrive for class ready to share preliminary observations, questions, and conclusions. If each student prepares conscientiously, we optimize the conditions for productive classroom collaboration.

This means arriving for class prepared to share our preliminary findings and ready— in fact, eager—to receive critical feedback. Prepared to weigh in, respectively and responsibly, on other people’s first takes and rough drafts. Prepared—in fact, determined—to use our colleagues’ constructive critical input to change our minds.