(6/2002) - Whether it’s English or mathematics, at Exeter we call all our classes “Harkness” classes and our teachers “Harkness” teachers. Harkness identifies a table you will find at the center of every class both literally and figuratively. Harkness Tables are oval and seat a dozen students and a teacher, but they are much more than a place to sit. At the Harkness Table classmates learn by discussing their thoughts and ideas rather than just by taking notes. Teachers are participants in the discussion, guiding students in significant ways without lecturing.

Harkness Tables originated at Exeter in 1931 when philanthropist Edward Harkness challenged the Exeter faculty to create an innovative way of teaching. From the start, the purpose of the Harkness Table was to make class more “real” and therefore more involving. I think the 1930s faculty understood that Harkness Tables would make being smart more fun. They knew that discussing even your least favorite subject around the Harkness Table would make that subject interesting. But how could they know that the Harkness Table would teach students to collaborate rather than compete with each other inside and outside of class? And how could they know that the Harkness Table would make the whole community respectful of one another’s ideas and therefore a safer and more generous place to learn and live?

There is a story about the building of the first table. It seems that when Mr. Harkness sat at it, it didn’t suit him because he detected a flaw. He couldn’t see the eyes of every other person at the table. How can you have a meaningful discussion, if you can’t see the eyes of the people you’re talking to? So the table was designed with its oval shape. But another stumbling block was encountered. The oval tables were too big to fit through a doorway. The solution? Builders brought their materials to the rooms themselves and constructed the tables inside. Picturing this makes me think of a ship in a bottle – Harkness Tables actually are part of the rooms.

It is striking to me that even though we have Harkness Tables in every class, we still always refer to them as “the” Harkness Table. That’s because the unique experience of learning at the Harkness Table transcends any individual class. Let me suggest how.

When I first came to Exeter, I had a conversation with several new students. I asked them why they had come. One senior said, “I wanted to go to a school where everyone was smart and where I could have good conversations.” As principal, that resonated with me. Around the Harkness Table we learn to have intense conversations. We’re the ones who talk without raising our hands and we want to talk about everything. When somebody says, “Well, what do you think?” we all have something to say.

A lot of students choose to come here because it’s safe to be smart. When you’re sitting at the Harkness Table, whatever your background is, social trappings and distinctions drop away to make room for each person’s perspective. It’s safe to be smart because there is a notion of democracy that is characterized by the quality of thoughts, efforts and enthusiasm. The respect we feel for one another grows out of being together at the Harkness Table and extends to every aspect of our lives.

Imagine walking into an English class. Last night, you read George Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant.” Would the narrator kill an elephant again if he had it to do over? You and your classmates are trying to decide. Someone jumps in and says definitely. But you don’t think so. You point out the author’s remorse. Ideas fly around the table. Of your 12 classmates at this Harkness Table, no one is left out of the discussion. No one is hiding. Everyone speaks his or her mind, yet you each make each other question your assumptions.

You are no longer plugging formulas into problems, you’re finding the formulas for yourself. You get to think ahead of time about a question and then you have the chance to explore and confirm your ideas. Suddenly, you’re seeing the big picture and it’s thrilling. And the thrill of discovery doesn’t stop when class ends. One student told me he found his voice here. He said he used to hang back with his opinions, but now he can’t wait to speak up inside and outside of class.

There is never any busy work at the Harkness Table. Instead of a math book with an endless number of identical problems and the answers in the back of the book, your math teachers write their own text and design problems that will challenge you. In your history class, you move beyond dates – instead, you are asked to consider what “the facts” mean and why you think they are important. In your English class, your teacher wants to know which books you and your classmates have already read and which ones you want to read. Sometimes, the class syllabus may even grow out of everyone’s ideas. You go to school to challenge yourself with the unknown, not the known. That’s what makes class absorbing and keeps you immersed in it all.

Teachers are also participants in a Harkness discussion. Sometimes prospective parents think this means the teacher isn’t teaching. In fact, the teacher is demonstrating to students how to learn rather than just what to learn. That’s where our notion of “respecting the pupil” comes from. Harkness teachers excel at asking questions that excite inquiry. The more students want to know, the more they learn.

It is important to understand that the Harkness Table fosters a sense of collaboration and encouragement that continues when class is over. Students tell me they learn just as much from each other after class as they do in class, whether they’re the one giving the help or getting it. “It’s incredible how much you can learn when you’re together instead of apart,” a student said to me. Imagine school like that.