Brian F. Crowley/Courtesy of Phillips Exeter Academy
Much of the way many private schools teach today--with students participating in and helping to direct conversation after a provocative prompt from their teacher--goes back to a special table first crafted at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. In 1930, benefactor Edward Harkness was interested in making a gift to Exeter that would help classes be more interactive and encourage each student to participate in the conversation.
The problem was the table. The tables then used at Exeter did not allow the teachers to look at students and did not permit students to look at each other. The solution was the Harkness table, an oval-shaped table that allows students to look at each other and at the teacher. The unique shape of the table does not permit students to hide, but it also does not leave them too exposed. The table allows students to learn from the teacher and teachers to learn from students, and it encourages students to express their ideas while respecting the viewpoints of others. The result is a revolutionary, dynamic style of teaching that fosters critical thinking skills and that changed private school education forever.
Today, the table is still being constructed. About 170 schools across the country and in foreign countries such as Japan and the United Arab Emirates use the table and its attendant teaching methodology to encourage conversation. Exeter still uses the table for each and every one of its classes. The table, which seats 12 to 18 people, is at the heart of discussions at schools nationwide and is a symbol of the interactive style of learning at many private schools.
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