Catalyzing Knowledge: Harkness

Along with getting lost amongst red brick buildings and being scared to go to the dining hall alone, taking my first seat around a heavy wooden Harkness table defined my prep fall at Exeter. English and history classes were an adjustment, but one made gladly and logically, although I hope I never have to revisit my comments made or personal narratives written during that term. The greater learning came in math, biology and Latin classes, which unveiled the more hidden advantages of Harkness.In seventh grade I began taking my first steps into the deep ocean of classical languages. The other students and I sat in four neat rows, all facing our well-practiced Latin teacher at the front of the room. We turned in our homework, raised our hands to answer questions, and listened to the teacher recite grammar rules. At Exeter, along with the eleven other students sitting beside me around the oval table, inscribed with signatures and warnings to study vocabulary, we opened our Ludus textbooks and discovered the language together. We took turns translating, asked questions to help guide one another and worked through the twists and turns of ancient inscriptions as a class. I did not always have a neat page of notes in front of me, but I gained a comprehensive knowledge of the ablative case and, in some peoples opinions, more useful information--skills I will carry with me for a lifetime.Harkness in introductory math, language, and science classes teaches students one of the most basic and useful skills one should learn in high school: teamwork. When a class works together to unravel an Alex the Geologist math problem the road to an answer, and, more importantly, an understanding, can be longer and winding. When the teacher takes a backseat it’s more difficult and can be frustrating, but coming to a conclusion is a victory for the class as a whole.Another skill learned through Harkness is necessary for Exonians to achieve this victory. Finding a voice at Exeter, and around the table, is crucial. For some this task extends past introductory classes throughout high school, or longer. But it Harkness gives Exonians the chance to find a voice, and teaches us how to use it. One will get lost in matrices without asking questions or muddle through mitochondria if not for clarifiers. Finding a voice around the Harkness table is imperative for success in the classroom, and being encouraged to find it your fall term of one’s freshman year is the perfect time to start. An Exonian carries that voice to late night dorm room conversations, family dinners back at home, intimidating college lecture halls and career-making board room meetings. The Harkness table is a welcoming environment for this discovery, and the challenge of introductory math, science, and language classes encourage students to make it early on.Finally, Harkness learning in difficult introductory classes engages students in their own learning. Words are not being said to students. Instead, they bounce ideas off one another, absorbing each other’s thoughts and volunteering their own, becoming active participants in the class. A perfectly balanced Harkness discussion is perhaps impossible to achieve, but Exonians strive to achieve this throughout their years at Exeter. Constantly improving oneself and one’s class as a whole around the Harkness table becomes a goal for every student. The success of a student’s time in a classroom, and their enjoyment of a subject, depends on it. This incentive leads students to work their hardest, do their best and benefit every step of the way.Harkness learning is a journey for every Exonian. Along the way, we strive to find our voice and learn as much as possible, all the while working our hardest and with each other. There is no better place to start this journey than prep fall, and the challenge of introductory math, language, and science classes prompts students to take their first steps on the path to Harkness success. This path is paved past the Academy building and to every future milestone, in higher education, careers, and personal lives. All this begins around a wooden table with eleven other students, but the end is not in sight.