“Even then it was clear to socially minded people that the openness of possibilities was an opportunity, and that doubt and discussion were essential to progress into the unknown. If we want to solve a problem that we have never solved before, we must leave the door to the unknown ajar…doubt is not to be feared, but welcomed and discussed.” – Richard Feynman
There is a reason that King Arthur and his knights sat down to a round table, a reason that Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream about “sitting down together at the table of brotherhood.”
At a Harkness table every one has equal access to the discussion. There is no back of the class in a circle – or an ellipse.
Over the semester, students have been building their critical thinking and communication skills in student-driven Harkness discussions. A few weeks ago in Saturday M-English class (Math + English), students utilized these same skills to build a round Harkness table for our English class discussions. Students from Geometry to Calculus put their math skills to practice, problem solving how we could design, shop for, and build this table (and logo) with our classroom budget. They worked in small groups – self-designated by area of math expertise – to break down the different steps. One group came up with the angles necessary to make our Alzar School logo table-sized. Another team calculated our supplies list, measuring the current conference table (which would serve as our base) for reference. Finally, our calculus students worked up a sweat determining all the angles necessary for cutting rectangular tongue-and-groove pine planks into one smooth ellipse.
Finally, after 4 hours in class together and many hours outside work, the masterpiece is finished. We built this table together as a community.
I am honored to sit down at this table with you all.
Supersized Alzar School logo stencil ready to be cut
- Dez and Caroline and their newly designed logo stencil
- Students determine board lengths needed for ellipse
- Brady cuts the wood with the help of Roxy the stabilizer
- Examining frame for table
- Martha places foci for ellipse
- Dan draws the ellipse using Burke’s method: two foci and some string
- Students double check numbers
- Ellie very carefully jigsawing the ellipse
- Ellipse!
- Student input
- Measuring and laying out the stencil students designed
Dez: Navigating Comfort Zones
Brady’s Community: Together We Learn, Together We Grow
Lauren: Curiosity Drives Learning
Burke: Communicating Over Obstacles
Isabelle: Trust Conquers Fears
Caroline: Living in Close Quarters
Roxy Lives with Intention
Francisca Communicates Her Growth
McKenna’s Ballooning Self-Confidence
Harmony: Growing Strong and Independent
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