Socrates The Midwife

Socrates was born circa 470 B.C in Athens. He was a Greek philosopher and laid the groundwork for Western philosophy. He was the inspiration for Plato who later on became the inspiration for Aristotle. He believed that we should ask questions and look for the truth. Socrates was best known for his book Plato Republic, and in one of his books he gave the example of the teacher as the midwife. This metaphor was a great way to show what Socrates believed was the best way to help his students. Socrates modeled this metaphor after his mother who was a midwife.
“My art of midwifery is in general like theirs [real midwives]; the only difference is that my patients are men, not women, and my concern is not with the body but with the soul that is in
I am so far like the midwife that I cannot myself give birth to wisdom, and the common reproach is true, that, though I question others, I can myself bring nothing to light because there is no wisdom in me. The reason is this. Heaven (Jowett: "the god") constrains me to serve as a midwife, but has debarred me from giving birth. So of myself I have no sort of wisdom, nor has any discovery ever been born to me as the child of my soul. Those who frequent my company at first appear, some of them, quite unintelligent, but, as we go further with our discussions, all who are favored by heaven make progress at a rate that seems surprising to others as well as to themselves, although it is clear that they have never learned anything from me. The many admirable truths they bring to birth have been discovered by themselves from within. But the delivery is heaven's work and mine.” (Theaetetus). What Socrates means with this quote is that it is up to the teachers to bring out what the students already knows. The midwife is there to encourage the mother and ease her discomfort. The midwife is prepared for anything because of her experience
After the assessment, the teacher can see the best way to bring out the knowledge from the child onto the paper. This can be accomplished by getting to know the student and by building a relationship with not only the student but the parents as well. The reason is because they all have a common goal, which is to make sure that the student is successful. The teacher also knows that while they are talking and working with the student they should never make them feel as if they cannot be successful or grasp the concept. Instead they must encourage the student and let them know that they believe in them and their abilities. Many times students feel overwhelmed or as if they cannot accomplish their goal. It is up to the teacher to be able to talk to them and ease their fears by using their own experience of working with other students and providing that student and their family with resources that could help the student with the material. The teacher also knows that it is important that the student is able to figure out the process on their own by not stepping in but allowing them to make and learn from their mistake. It is only through this process that the student is truly able to understand what they are learning. Lastly, when the student has accomplished what they have set out to do the teacher does not take the