Debating Coaching
Debating for Gifted Youth
When I was a teenager, I wished I had debate classes!
My experience as a graduate of a gifted program has taught me the importance of enrichment activities that satisfy boredom and pose a real intellectual challenge. Especially those relating to communication and persuasion, public speaking, world knowledge, logical thinking, and other skills not necessarily acquired in formal school settings.
Debate is more than just an enjoyable game and competition. For this reason, it is important to pass these tools on to talented young people who will benefit from them. The way I teach debate is the way I would have liked to be taught at that age.
In a relatively fast-paced learning environment, participants will engage in discussions about serious matters that are relevant and current. This stems from an attitude of treating youth as curious, mature, and highly capable individuals.
Table of contents:
Debate what is it?
Debate is an intellectual sport where people compete for the ability to persuade on a particular topic and position. Debate is an old academic tradition with roots in Cambridge, England, in the 18th century. Within it, topics such as economics, philosophy, politics, law, art, gender, sports, international relations, and more are discussed.
Worldwide debating experience is an excellent springboard for public service, academia, the justice system, and private sector careers. It is no wonder, then, that prominent public figures (Barack Obama, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, and others), Supreme Court justices (Alito, Sotomayor, Brown Jackson), novelists (Sally Rooney), and entertainers (Stephen Colbert, Oprah Winfrey) are all debate alums.
Course goals
- Overcome stage fright and practice public speaking.
- Learn to present a position and convince others about various dilemmas and issues with relevant, accurate, and reasoned arguments.
- Improve your ability to distinguish key messages and focus on them.
- Better refute opposing arguments in real-time and respond to questions and objections.
- Improve your improvisation skills and your ability to think on your feet.
- Increase your ability to listen to and fully understand the other side.
- Broaden your horizons.
"Monica brought relevant and thought-provoking issues for debate. students in this course develop their oral expression skills, improve their rhetorical ability, develop critical listening skills, and prepare themselves to contain, on the one hand, the opinion of the other, and, on the other hand, form a structured and logical response. "
(Zohar Lahat, Gifted Class Teacher, Ort High School Shlomi)
Course structure
Each session lasts four hours and is composed of two parts:
Lesson
Practice
Feedback
Lesson topics
- Persuasion fundamentals, speech structure, and style
- Burdenas of proof and argument selection.
- Rebuttal.
- Argument building and logical explanation.
- Advanced argument-building workshop
- Summary
- Criteria building and principled cases
- Wordsmithing and semantics
- Objection handling and dealing with questions
- Logical fallacies and cognitive biases
- Debating in everyday situations (aka how to argue and stay friends)
Logistics
- We will meet face-to-face
- A minimum of 6 participants are ideal. To ensure active participation in the debate, groups in multiples of four (8, 12, 16 people) are recommended
- It is recommended to conduct the activity in small groups or voluntarily (students who choose to participate)
Are you a teacher of gifted classes? Running a gifted program?
Are you a parent of gifted children?
Please feel free to contact me for more details and to plan debate workshops tailored to your needs. Private debate lessons are also available for individuals or small groups.
Please feel free to contact me for more details and to plan debate workshops tailored to your needs. Private debate lessons are also available for individuals or small groups.
