Elementary School Speech & Debate Club (Level #2, Monthly)

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 speechwriting skills - introductions, conclusions, persuasive writing and research. 
3. Students will participate in a speech tournament 
4. Students will participate in an essay writing competition. 
5.  Students will learn various speech formats.

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 founded New York City's scholastic debate leagues and served as Founder and Executive Director from 2011-2019 building the league into the largest debate league in the nation, serving thousands of students every year.  

I have received numerous awards in education including: Presidential Youth Award in the Arts and Humanities by the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, National Institute of Museum and Library Studies and the White House Commission on the Arts and Humanities, United States Supreme Court Summer Institute for Teachers Fellowship, Fund for Teachers Fellowship, Plank Foundation Fellowship, Points of Light Civic Incubator Award, Robin Hood's GRIT, Teach for America Innovation Award Finalist, and the We are the Bronx Fellowship Award. 

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.  I always begin my classes with current events trivia.  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.

1. Public Speaking Assignment - Students will submit weekly speeches. 

1.  Public Speaking Tournament. Each month we have a different oratorical topic. Students have from the 1st to the last day of the month to submit their video speeches. All participants receive certificates. 
2.  Speechwriting/Essay Contest. Each month we also have a speechwriting competition on a different topic. Students have from the 1st to the last day of the month to submit their written speeches. All participants receive certificates. 

55 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 2 - 4 hours per week outside of class.