1.  Students will improve their understanding and practice of public speaking skills and specifically the skills of passion, ethos, logos, hand gestures, eye contact and body movement. 
2. Students will improve their understanding and practice of debate skills - note taking (flowing), constructing an argument, clash and refutation.
3.  Students will improve their understanding and practice of speechwriting skills - introductions, conclusions, persuasive writing and research. 
4. Students will participate in both a speech and debate practices.
5.  Students will learn various speech and debate formats and events that they can participate in. 
6. Students will learn the history of Great Debaters and Famous Public Speakers and why we do speech and debate. Specially, the power of speech and debate to make the world a better place. 

I have been involved in speech and debate as a student and educator my entire life.  I learned more in my Speech and Debate Club than all my high school, college and law school classes combined. I joined the Speech and Debate Team at my middle school because I was very shy of public speaking. I have been hooked in speech and debate since! 

I received my B.A. from U.C Berkeley, Jurist Doctorate from Hastings College of Law, and Masters Degree in Education at Pace University.  In 2002 I was accepted to Teach for America and I have been teaching since. I have been a public school teacher for ten years with the New York City Department of Education and taught speech and debate classes for about ten years with thousands of NYC students. My debaters have gone on to win city, state and national champion titles. I currently serve as Professor at Baruch College in the Communications Studies Department. I teach Debate and Argumentation classes as well as Political Rhetoric. 

As a teacher I helped to co-found the Big Apple Debate League which is now the NY Debate League. In 2011, I founded our city's Urban Debate League with the mission that every middle school and high school should have a debate team. I served as Founder and Executive Director from 2011-2019 building the league into the largest citywide debate league in the nation, serving thousands of students every year.  In 2020, I left the nonprofit world, and I returned to my passion as a full time teacher! 

I have received numerous awards in education including the United States Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers Fellowship, Fund for Teachers Fellowship, Plank Foundation Fellowship, and Teach for America Innovation Award Finalist.

I love teaching. My grandparents, parents and my brother are all educators. There is nothing more fun than sharing your passion with others. 

My philosophy of teaching is learning should be fun and challenging.  My lectures are interactive with movie clips, songs, puzzles and other engaging tools.  We always practice our public speaking and debate skills. All my classes end with a fun and competitive speech and debate practice or tournament.  My mission is all students should have access to speech and debate.

Press. Below are some news articles about me and my debaters! I owe everything to my own debate teacher and coach and so everyday my mission is to support future debaters! 

1. First Lady Michelle Obama Honors Erik and the Great Debaters
https://tinyurl.com/29u2cfpw

2. Bronx debate team one of 12 school groups nationally to get visit with Michelle Obama
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/skilled-young-orators-heading-white-house-article-1.1203407

3. New York City Teacher Creates After School Debate League Lauded by the White House
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10156172.htm

Homework Offered
1. Speech and Debate Assignments. Each student should spend 1-2 hours a week on their speeches and/or debates. 
2. Recommend: Students should be reading current events on a weekly or daily basis. But this is not a prerequisite for this course. 
2 - 4 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
1. Speech Practices! Each class students have a short speech due on a different topic. We will review these speeches at the beginning of class. 
2. Speech Practice Day! We have one class devoted to a speech practice contest. Everyone will have the opportunity to judge. 
3. Debate Practice Day! We will have one class devoted to a debate practice for all. 
4. Speech Evaluations! I'll be providing feedback on speeches on Chat, on your Flip Speeches, and sending to you after class. 
Grades Offered

External Resources Statement: We will be using a variety of classroom tools, readings, links and other external resources. Please review the Materials section before signing up for this class.  These resources are optional. No accounts have to be created. All these resources are free.  All these resources have been vetted and used widely by students, schools and teachers.