*To gain confidence in speaking and organization 
*Understand all the basic ideas of debate and rhetoric
*Gain deeper understanding of literature through debate
* To communicate effectively through speaking, thinking adroitly and responding fluently
* Improve memory retention and organizational skills
* Gain confidence and poise in oral presentation
* Expand vocabulary and word usage
*To gain deeper understanding of the nuances of literature and the essay format

Longtime teacher of literature for both middle and high school students. Founder and former coach of an award-winning Speech and Debate team that competed at local, state and national levels, long-time speech judge for local, regional, national speech events for NCFL and National Speech and Debate Association, former teacher of high school debate and rhetoric, art history, literature, and AP Language and Composition. 

Homework Offered
Students will be required to read the portions of the text we will be considering for the upcoming week.
0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Students will receive written and verbal feedback from me throughout the sessions. 
Grades Offered

All essays for this course will be posted on the classroom page each week. The essays are taken from  One Hundred Great Essays by Robert Diyanni (This book is NOT necessary for this class).