1. Students will improve their understanding of Global History. Each week, dozens of topics will be addressed and constantly reviewed throughout the class. 

2. Independent Reading
Each week during the school year, students receive a reading on current and historical events, geography, vocabulary and more. 

3. Vocabulary
Our reading has vocabulary lists, activities and assessments. Students can create their own dictionary of unfamiliar words; they can add to their log each day with each edition.

4.  Public Speaking and Debate Skills
Each Week students will submit a weekly speech/debate topic. There will be an opportunity to ask and answer questions, debate and vote.

I have been teaching US and Global History for over twenty years as a History, Social Studies and Civics teacher at the middle school, high school and college levels. History has been my passion since middle school when I grabbed any book about US History, Global History, and Military History.  

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 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.  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.

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://www.donorschoose.org/blog/first-lady-michelle-obama-honors-erik-fogel-and-the-great-debaters/

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
Students should come to class with a brief historical topic, question or event to share and practice public speaking and presentation skills. 
Assessments Offered
1.  History Trivia: We start and end each class with Trivia and Games
2.  Student Presentations
3. Student Discussions and Debates
Grades Offered

Each student will receive a weekly Current and Historical Events reading.